Casa das Lérias highlighted in Wine Book Magazine: "Chefs Miguel Rocha Vieira and Ricardo Tiago launch sweets inspired by the Lérias de Amarante"

Source: winebook.pt

Port wine, citrus fruits, apple and cinnamon, cocoa, or spices are the ingredients that define the new signature sweets available at the Casa das Lérias café, the historic hotel located in the heart of the city.

They are one of the most famous conventual sweets in Amarante and give their name to Casa das Lérias, a historic building from 1930, now fully renovated to showcase and offer the best the city has to offer. With a terrace overlooking the Tâmega River, it is in the café where you can try five new sweets inspired by the traditional Lérias, created by Chefs Miguel Rocha Vieira and Ricardo Tiago.

"Respecting the tradition of Portuguese conventual sweets, so rich and complete, we have developed with imagination and creativity five new proposals capable of pleasing various profiles, from the most intense to the most aromatic," explains Chef Miguel Rocha Vieira, responsible for F&B management at hotels managed by AHM – Ace Hospitality Management. "Our main challenge was to achieve light, balanced options with the same texture, moisture, and creaminess as the classic Lérias, which everyone already knows," adds pastry chef Ricardo Tiago.

After some tests and experiments, the chef duo focused on the introduction of mostly national ingredients, enhancing Portuguese identity, both in the dough of the filling and in the sweet's coating, originally made with a sugar syrup. Tawny Port wine appears subtly through a reduction that replaces the water, while Alcobaça apple and cinnamon lead the "most challenging combination of all." "Achieving the perfect texture was not easy. Here, the apple is worked in a syrup, where the sugar levels have to be very balanced, and we finish with dehydrated fruit on top," emphasizes Chef Ricardo Tiago.

For those who appreciate fresher and more citrusy flavors, the sweet that combines Algarve orange and lemon will be the best option. Raw 100% cocoa dominates the least sweet offering, its roughness and robustness providing a strong and intense aroma, finished with toasted and crushed cocoa seeds on the coating. The fifth suggestion presented is a tribute to Portuguese maritime expansion, mixing spices such as cinnamon, anise, and nutmeg, resulting in an aromatic and fragrant sweet.

Historically served as dessert only on festive days or important meals, traditional Lérias are also available in a recipe by the two chefs at the Casa das Lérias Café. Each unit of the Lérias and the five exclusive sweets costs €1.50, with a box of 12 units (15€) available to take home and share.

The new menu of the space includes other novelties to enjoy at any time of the day. Besides cakes and tarts served by the slice, ideal to accompany coffee, tea, or a glass of wine, there are scones with butter and jam, croissants made with brioche dough, vegetable pies, mushroom risoles, and local cheese and charcuterie boards.

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