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I’m a city girl through and through. Born and raised in London, there’s something particularly comforting about a constant hum of people always on the go, and instant access to pretty much anything I need. My choice of holiday tends to reflect those things too. I need a buzz around me, I need to be able to get around via public transport independently, or feel comfortable enough to walk and not be the only person for miles.
I had a long solo weekend in Lisbon last week and it’s a familiar city that I adore going back to again and again. As cities go, it’s not too chaotic but has a warmth and bustle that I find suits solo female travellers especially well. After two nights of walking up the steepest hills, eating custard tarts and bifanas, I had a two hour drive to the Portuguese countryside in the Alentejo region to stay at São Lourenço do Barrocal.
I’ve admired this hotel from afar for quite some time, drawn in by the calming, farmhouse chic aesthetic and abundant landscape. It’s fairly rural and very quiet but I had such a beautiful, restful stay and can’t wait to return. From olive oil tasting (they have their own groves and produce all of their own oil), to beekeeping, spa treatments, the daily hour of tea and cake, lounging by the pool and enjoying incredible regional food, São Lourenço is a special place for both food and nature lovers.
I’m always itching to get back into the kitchen after being away and in this week’s newsletter, I’m sharing a recipe for a dark chocolate mousse finished with a sweet nutty topping inspired by my trip as well as a mini guide on how to spend two nights in this fabulous space.
Enjoy!
Benjamina x
How to spend two nights at São Lourenço do Barrocal.
If like me, you’re coming here after some time in Lisbon, it’s just a short 2 hour drive and transfers can be arranged through the hotel.
After checking in, find a cozy nook in the communal areas to enjoy the daily hour of traditional Portuguese cakes and cookies with tea and coffee.
For dinner, you’ve got a choice of the main restaurant serving up farm to table, seasonal dishes or Hortelão, an outdoor dining experience serving grilled meats and fish, and veggies from the garden. All enjoyed under the starry sky. Stop by the bar on the way back to your room for a nightcap.
Breakfasts are one of my favourite things about staying in a hotel. Here, there’s a table laden with stunning cheeses, pastries, fruits, honey made by the bees at the hotel, and local bread. Hot items are made to order; the pancakes were fab.
Spend the daytime taking part in one of the many experiences available from olive oil tasting, to flower arranging, pottery workshops and horseback riding. Grab a bike and cycle around some of the trails, have a snooze by the pool or book in for a spa treatment.
Before you leave, pick up some house made honey, olive oil, teas and ceramics from the farm shop.
Right, on to this weeks recipe! I ate so much chocolate mousse in Portugal. It was on pretty much every dessert menu and nearly all of them were excellent. I’ve topped this one with a sweet mix of toasty pine nuts, buttery crunchy bits of bread and sultanas cooked into a honey syrup. It was inspired by the nógados I made in a dessert workshop at the hotel. It’s traditionally served during the festive season and the crunchy bits are normally made from a fried dough made with brandy, eggs and olive oil. For ease, I’ve subbed in crusty bread that’s been fried in salted butter which was included in another dessert we made, Sopa dourada.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Everyone needs a good chocolate mousse recipe up their sleeve. There are a few different ways to make it, all with varying degrees of effort and difficulty. My go to at the moment falls in the middle; egg yolks and sugar are whipped until thickened before being folded into melted chocolate. And then to get it aerated, I fold in egg whites and lightly whipped double cream. It’s still quite straightforward, the most annoying part is that you need 4 bowls.
RECIPE
serves 6
180g dark chocolate
4 large eggs, separated
50g caster sugar
150ml double cream
flaky sea salt, to serve
For the topping:
50g crusty bread, diced into small cubes
30g salted butter
50g pine nuts
100g honey
30g caster sugar
30g sultanas or raisins
METHOD
Add the chocolate to a large bowl and melt it over a pan of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave. Set it aside to cool.
In another bowl, add the egg whites and whisk it to get soft peaks. Add in half of the sugar and continue to whisk until the peaks are stiff. Set this aside.
Add the cream to a separate bowl and whip until you have very soft peaks. Be careful not to overwhip this one. Set aside.
Add the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar to a bowl and whisk well until it looks pale and thickened. Pour it into the melted chocolate and fold it in quickly until well incorporated.
Spoon in a quarter of the egg whites and use a spatula to fold this in and loosen the mixture.
Add in the rest of the egg whites and carefully fold in, being careful not to deflate the mixture.
Spoon the cream on top and fold until you don’t have any streaks.
Pour the mixture into a dish or individual ramekins. Cover with cling film, making sure it doesn’t touch the surface and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
To make the topping, preheat the oven to 180c fan/200c. Add the pine nuts and cubed bread to separate sides of a small lined baking tray.
Toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the bread has dried out. Set aside.
Add the butter to a pan and melt. Tip in the bread and cook until the butter is foamy and the bread browns and crisps up. Remove from the heat and pour it all onto a plate lined with a paper towel.
Add the honey and sugar to a separate small pan and bring to the boil. Once the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture looks translucent, tip in the pine nuts, fried bread and sultanas. Stir well to coat everything and then remove from the heat.
Tip the mixture onto the baking tray and let it cool.
To serve, scoop the mousse onto plates, top with a bit of flaky sea salt, some of the pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
lovely 😋
Thank you for sharing! I love the way you describe your experiences. Looking forward to making this chocolate mousse for my husband’s birthday dinner this weekend!!