Portugal Cooking Adventure: Bacalhau, Chicken & Custard Tarts

Quesbo Little Chefs · Cooking adventures around the world

A forkful of bacalhau. Golden chicken.
A little custard tart.

Discover Bacalhau à Brás, roast mild piri-piri-style chicken and bake pastéis de nata. Three family recipes and a new stamp for your tasty passport.

Our destinationPortugal
ExploreKitchen curiosity
Discover3 recipes

Olá! — Hello! Welcome to a new stop in Quesbo’s Cooking Adventures Around the World. Find a grown-up cooking companion, put on your apron and bring your questions. There are flavours, textures and new cooking words to discover together.

Our menu explores three approachable tastes of Portugal: Bacalhau à Brás with cod, potatoes and eggs; a mild, chilli-free version of piri-piri-style chicken; and little custard tarts called pastéis de nata. These are family adaptations: the cod starts ready-desalted, the chicken keeps the chilli on the side for grown-ups, and the tarts use ready-made puff pastry. Choose one recipe today or spread your adventure across several cooking sessions. The savoury dishes serve four; the tart recipe makes twelve.

Choose your first taste

A little taste of Portugal

This little menu offers three different textures to explore: soft flakes of cod with potato sticks and eggs, golden roasted chicken, and crisp pastry around smooth custard. Portuguese recipes vary between regions and families, and our versions make room for shared kitchen jobs and gentle seasoning. Start with one dish and notice what changes as your grown-up cooks.

Quesbo’s imaginary passport adventure

Quesbo opened the cooking passport beside a sunny kitchen window. Today’s imaginary destination was Portugal. On the table were a lemon, a sprig of parsley and a roll of puff pastry. The little chefs had questions: What would the lemon smell like? How would flat pastry turn into a crisp cup? Why did the grown-up check the cod so carefully for bones? They wrote their questions in a notebook, watched from a safe place and helped with the jobs chosen for them. At the table, each child shared one thing they had noticed. Quesbo added CURIOSITY to the passport: a good question can be the beginning of a delicious discovery.

What would you like to find out before you start cooking, and what could you safely observe along the way?

Cod, potatoes and eggs 01 / 03

Bacalhau à Brás

Flaked salt cod, golden potato sticks and soft-set eggs

Bacalhau à Brás brings cod, thin potato sticks, onions and eggs together in one pan. This family version starts with ready-desalted cod and shop-bought batata palha, so there is no deep-frying. A grown-up checks the fish carefully for bones and handles the hob; little chefs can measure and prepare the table.

Bacalhau à Brás with flaky cod, golden potato matchsticks, egg, parsley and sliced black olives in a sunny Portuguese coastal kitchen
AI-generated serving suggestion; your finished dish may look different.
Makes4 family portions
Prep15 minutes; defrosting or desalting, if needed, is extra
CookingAbout 25 minutes, with some tasks overlapping
Allow in totalAbout 40 minutes once the cod is ready to cook
DifficultyGrown-up-led hob cooking
AllergensFish and egg. Check the potato-stick and olive labels for other allergens.

Ingredients

For the cod and potatoes

  • 400 g skinless, boneless, ready-desalted salt cod, fully thawed if frozen; weight after desalting and draining
  • 2 medium onions, about 250 g, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 200 g batata palha: very thin, ready-fried potato sticks, preferably lower in salt
  • 6 medium eggs
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • A small pinch of black pepper, optional

Optional finishing touches

  • 6 pitted black olives, checked for stones and cut into small pieces by an adult
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Cook together

Little hands can
  • Weigh potato sticks before raw fish is handled.
  • Pick washed parsley leaves and count four plates.
  • Choose whether to try a little parsley, olive or lemon.
Grown-up jobs
  • Check the cod’s desalting instructions, thaw it safely and remove every bone.
  • Handle knives, raw fish, boiling water and the hot frying pan.
  • Cook the eggs thoroughly and check serving temperatures.
What you will need

Separate raw-fish board and knife, Saucepan and colander, Large deep frying pan and spatula, Mixing bowl, fork and scales, Clean food thermometer and serving plates

Let’s cook

  1. Check the cod before starting

    Read the packet: the cod must be already desalted and ready to cook. Thaw frozen fish in the fridge according to its instructions. If you bought dried salted cod, complete the supplier’s soaking and water-change instructions in the fridge before this recipe; do not put it straight into the pan. The 400 g weight is after soaking and draining. Keep the fish chilled while preparing the clean ingredients, and plan a separate board and utensils for raw fish.

  2. Prepare the clean ingredients

    Wash hands. Children can weigh the potato sticks and pick washed parsley leaves at a separate clean work area. An adult washes hands and cleans tools after handling raw fish. An adult slices the onions, chops garlic and parsley, and cuts any olives into small pieces. Crack the eggs into a bowl, check for shell and beat with a fork. Keep this bowl away from the children’s tasting area. Do not add salt: both cod and potato sticks already contain it.

  3. Poach and flake the fish

    An adult checks the cod for bones and cuts it into roughly 2 cm pieces on its separate board. Bring enough water to cover it to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Add the fish and simmer gently for about 5–8 minutes, or as its packet directs, until opaque, hot throughout and easy to separate. Drain carefully. When cool enough to handle safely, an adult flakes it onto a clean plate, checking every piece again for skin and bones. Keep the cooked fish separate from the raw-fish board.

  4. Soften the onions

    While the fish cooks, an adult warms the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic for the final minute. If the onions begin to catch, reduce the heat and add a spoonful of water. Stir in the cooked cod and potato sticks, folding gently so the fish stays in small flakes.

  5. Fold in the eggs until set

    Turn the heat low. Pour in the beaten eggs and stir slowly, scraping the bottom and folding the mixture for about 3–5 minutes, until the eggs coat the fish and potatoes and are set, with no liquid egg remaining. Keep the mixture moist but fully cooked; a clean thermometer should read 75°C for at least 30 seconds in the centre. Cook a little longer if needed. Stir in most of the parsley and the optional pepper, then remove from the heat.

  6. Finish and share

    Divide between four plates and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Offer the chopped olives and lemon separately so everyone can choose. The grown-up checks for any missed bones while portioning, then checks that each child’s food is comfortably warm. Serve promptly: the potato sticks soften as they sit in the egg mixture, which is part of the dish’s texture.

From the table: Bacalhau is central to many Portuguese meals. In Bacalhau à Brás, shredded cod is combined with onions, thin fried potatoes and eggs, often finished with parsley and black olives. Our version uses ready-desalted fish and ready-made potato sticks to make the preparation easier at home.

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A mild family roast 02 / 03

Mild Piri-Piri-Style Chicken

Oven-roasted chicken with lemon, garlic and sweet paprika

Piri-piri chicken is normally known for its chilli heat. Our little-chef version keeps the lemon, garlic and paprika flavours but leaves chilli out of the family marinade. Grown-ups can add piri-piri sauce to their own plates. Children mix the clean ingredients before an adult coats and cooks the chicken.

Golden roasted chicken thighs with lemon and parsley on blue-and-white Portuguese ceramics beside rice in a sunny coastal kitchen
AI-generated serving suggestion; your finished dish may look different.
Makes4 family portions
Prep15 minutes
Cooking45–55 minutes, plus 5 minutes resting
Allow in totalAbout 1 hour 5 minutes–1 hour 15 minutes
DifficultyEasy preparation; grown-up-only raw-chicken and oven jobs
AllergensCheck the white wine vinegar, packaged seasonings and optional sauce for sulphites and other allergens.

Ingredients

For the mild chicken

  • 8 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1–1.2 kg in total
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus extra lemon wedges to serve
  • Finely grated zest of 1 washed lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika, not hot paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ¼ tsp fine salt, optional

To serve separately

  • Your family’s usual cooked potatoes or rice and vegetables, prepared separately
  • Piri-piri sauce for grown-ups or anyone who wants heat, optional; check its label

Cook together

Little hands can
  • Measure and stir the marinade before it touches raw chicken.
  • Smell the lemon zest and oregano, then describe them.
  • Set the table and choose vegetables for the plate.
Grown-up jobs
  • Zest the lemon, crush garlic and handle all raw chicken.
  • Use the oven and food thermometer; keep used marinade away from serving dishes.
  • Remove bones and cartilage and check children’s portions.
What you will need

Mixing bowl and measuring spoons, Zester, lemon squeezer and garlic press, Large roasting tin, tongs and oven gloves, Clean food thermometer, Clean serving dish, knife and board

Let’s cook

  1. Set up a clean mixing station

    Wash hands and clear the worktop. An adult heats the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan and gets out a large roasting tin. Before the chicken comes out, children can measure the oil, lemon juice, sweet paprika, oregano, vinegar and optional salt into a clean bowl. A grown-up adds the grated lemon zest and crushed garlic. Stir together. Check that the paprika is sweet, not hot.

  2. Coat the chicken

    Keep children away from the raw-chicken area. Do not wash the chicken. An adult puts the thighs in the roasting tin, adds the marinade and turns them with tongs to coat. Arrange skin-side up in one layer with a little space between pieces. Put the tin straight into the heated oven. Wash hands and clean the bowl, tongs and any surfaces touched by raw chicken; none of the used marinade should become a serving sauce.

  3. Roast until golden

    Roast for about 45–55 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs. Keep the oven door closed for the first 30 minutes. A grown-up then checks the colour: the skin should become golden with deeper paprika-coloured patches. If the top darkens too quickly, cover loosely with foil and continue cooking. Do not judge doneness from the browned skin alone.

  4. Prepare the accompaniments

    While the chicken cooks, prepare your usual potatoes or rice and vegetables separately, following their own cooking instructions. Use clean equipment and a fresh board. Children can help set the table or arrange cooled prepared vegetables as appropriate for their age. Keep any optional hot sauce in a separate clearly identified dish for the grown-ups, away from the mild family portions.

  5. Check every thigh and rest

    A grown-up inserts a clean food thermometer into the thickest fleshy part of each thigh without touching bone. Each must reach 75°C for at least 30 seconds, or 70°C for 2 minutes. Return any undercooked pieces to the oven and check again. The centre should be steaming hot, with no pink flesh and clear juices. Using clean tongs, move the cooked chicken to a clean dish and rest for about 5 minutes.

  6. Remove bones for children

    An adult takes the meat off the bones for children, checking carefully for bone fragments and firm cartilage, and cuts it into manageable pieces. Check that it has cooled to a comfortable eating temperature. Serve with the separately prepared sides and lemon wedges. Leave the family serving mild; anyone wanting chilli can add a little piri-piri sauce to their own plate.

From the table: Portugal’s piri-piri chicken is associated with chilli sauce and grilled chicken, including the well-known chicken served in the Algarve. This recipe is a gentle oven-cooked adaptation: it keeps familiar garlic, citrus and paprika flavours while making chilli optional at the table.

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A little custard treat 03 / 03

Easy Pastéis de Nata

Little Portuguese-style custard tarts with crisp puff-pastry shells

Pastéis de nata pair delicate pastry with a golden custard filling. This manageable home version uses ready-made puff pastry and a simple cooked custard, rather than making laminated pastry and sugar syrup from scratch. Children can measure and shape cooled pastry while a grown-up makes the hot custard and handles the oven.

Golden Portuguese custard tarts with flaky pastry and caramelised tops in a sunny blue-and-white tiled kitchen overlooking the Atlantic
AI-generated serving suggestion; your finished dish may look different.
Makes12 small tarts
PrepAbout 25 minutes, plus cooling the custard
Cooking8–10 minutes for custard; 20–25 minutes baking
Allow in totalAllow about 1 hour 30 minutes–1 hour 40 minutes, including overlapping cooling and pastry preparation
DifficultyA small baking project with a grown-up
AllergensWheat/gluten, egg and milk. Check the puff-pastry label for other allergens.

Ingredients

For the easy custard

  • 1 large egg, plus 2 large egg yolks
  • 115 g caster sugar
  • 25 g cornflour
  • 400 ml whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest, optional

For the pastry cups

  • 375 g ready-made puff pastry, chilled; if using a block, roll it to a rectangle about 35 × 25 cm
  • A little butter for greasing the tin
  • A little plain flour for the work surface
  • A small pinch of ground cinnamon for serving, optional

Cook together

Little hands can
  • Weigh sugar and cornflour and measure milk before eggs are added.
  • Count twelve pastry slices and gently press them into the cool tin.
  • Compare the flaky shell with the smooth filling once the tarts are cool.
Grown-up jobs
  • Separate eggs, cut the pastry log and manage the hot custard.
  • Use the oven, hot tin and cooling rack safely.
  • Check the pastry and custard are cooked and cool enough to eat.
What you will need

12-hole metal muffin tin, Saucepan, whisk and spatula, Shallow heatproof bowl and baking paper, Rolling pin, knife, scales and measuring jug, Oven gloves, palette knife and wire rack

Let’s cook

  1. Mix the custard base

    Wash hands and prepare the ingredients. An adult cracks and separates the eggs into a bowl, checking for shell. Children can measure the sugar, cornflour and milk before the egg is added. In a saucepan off the heat, whisk the whole egg, yolks, sugar and cornflour into a smooth paste. Whisk in the milk a little at a time until no lumps remain. Do not taste the uncooked mixture.

  2. Cook and cool the custard

    An adult places the pan over medium-low heat and stirs continuously with a whisk or spatula, reaching the corners, for about 8–10 minutes until the mixture thickens. Let it briefly bubble while stirring, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla and optional lemon zest. Transfer to a shallow heatproof bowl and cover the surface with baking paper to prevent a skin. Cool for about 20–30 minutes until no longer hot; prepare the pastry during this time.

  3. Make twelve pastry spirals

    An adult heats the oven to 220°C / 200°C fan and lightly greases a 12-hole metal muffin tin. Keep the pastry cool. On a lightly floured surface, cut its rectangle into two equal smaller rectangles and stack them. Roll the stack up snugly from a short edge to form a log. An adult cuts it into 12 equal slices. If it has become sticky or soft, chill it for 10 minutes before continuing. Never taste raw pastry or flour.

  4. Shape the cups and add filling

    Put each slice cut-side down on the lightly floured surface and roll into a disc about 10 cm across. Children can gently press the discs into the cool muffin tin with clean hands, taking care not to make holes. Wash hands after handling raw pastry. Stir the cooled custard until smooth and spoon into the shells, leaving about 5 mm of pastry rim above the filling. Do not overfill; if your tin is unusually shallow, refrigerate any extra cooled custard promptly and use within 48 hours rather than overfilling the shells.

  5. Bake until golden and set

    The grown-up places the tin on the middle shelf and bakes for about 20–25 minutes. Look for crisp golden pastry, some browned patches on the custard and centres that are set with a slight wobble rather than liquid. If the pastry needs longer, give it a few more minutes, watching closely. The filling may puff in the oven and settle as it cools. Home ovens vary, so the tops may be less dark than those from a Portuguese bakery.

  6. Cool before the first bite

    Using oven gloves, the adult puts the tin on a heatproof surface. Leave the tarts in the tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully lift them onto a wire rack. Cool for at least another 15 minutes, or longer until the filling is comfortably warm. The custard can stay hot even when the pastry feels cool, so an adult checks inside one before children taste. Add a very light dusting of optional cinnamon and share.

From the table: Pastéis de nata are Portuguese custard tarts; one tart is a pastel de nata. Traditional methods use rolled laminated pastry and a rich custard baked very hot. This recipe is an easier home adaptation using shop-bought pastry and cooked milk custard, so the texture and browning will differ from a specialist bakery’s version.

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Three words for your cooking notebook

Bacalhau à Brás: A cod dish with thin potato sticks, onions and eggs. Our recipe starts with cod that has already been desalted.

Piri-piri: A chilli seasoning associated with this style of chicken. Our family version keeps the chilli out of the shared dish.

Pastéis de nata: Little Portuguese custard tarts. One tart is called a pastel de nata.

Your tasty passport · Portugal

You wondered. You noticed.
You discovered something new.

CURIOSITY

A curious cook asks questions and notices changes. You can explore a new dish by looking, smelling from a safe distance and, when it is ready and cool enough, choosing whether to taste.

  1. Write PORTUGAL at the top of a new notebook page. Draw the dish you chose and add the date.
  2. Before cooking, ask one question about an ingredient or a cooking step. Let your grown-up help you find out.
  3. Notice one change from a safe place: a colour, a smell, a texture or the shape of the pastry. Draw or describe it.
  4. Earn your CURIOSITY stamp: record your question and something you discovered. You do not have to taste everything to be a curious cook.

Food detective: Does being curious mean you must taste every ingredient? No. You can ask questions and observe colours, shapes and safe-to-smell ingredients. Never taste raw pastry, raw meat, raw fish or uncooked egg mixtures.

A word for your journey: Olá — hello. At the table: Bom apetite — Enjoy your meal.

Keep your cooking passport growing

Choose your next destination from all the Quesbo Little Chefs cooking adventures. Keep your recipe notes so you can discover what your family enjoys making together.

Quesbo — Adventure Awaits.

Food and discovery notes for grown-ups

This original Quesbo adventure offers approachable family adaptations with clearly shared cooking jobs. Portuguese cooking includes many regional and household traditions; this is a small introduction. Our Bacalhau à Brás uses ready-desalted cod and purchased thin potato sticks. The chicken is a chilli-free adaptation of piri-piri-style seasoning, with optional heat for grown-ups. The pastéis de nata use ready-made puff pastry and a simplified home custard. Follow each recipe’s specific cooking and storage guidance, especially for fish bones, raw fish and poultry, eggs, hot custard and oven trays. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested. Food images are AI-generated serving illustrations.

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