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Chef Ana Macedo, the talent of O Paparico's Patisserie

It is with great pleasure that we follow the evolution and blossoming of new talents in the kitchen of O Paparico, this time in the area of Patisserie. We proudly saw our Pastry Chef Ana Macedo participating in the Young Gastronomy Talent Forum, which took place at the Axis Hotel in Ofir, last February 9th.
 
Working at O Paparico for 5 years as a pastry chef, it was two years ago that she took on the responsibility of being our Pastry Chef. With a background in architecture, Chef Ana Macedo defends that, even though they are totally distinct areas, both merge and influence her creative process.
 
She is, by self-definition, very methodical and organised, but with moments of reverie and decompression. Her relationship with her work is one of total surrender, but despite this, she feels the need for her world to be more than just that. It is important to keep abreast of what is happening in the world, to read books, to see art exhibitions, to live because this is also one of the fuels for her creativity. She learnt early on about discipline, commitment, moral and ethical values, perseverance, resilience, values that always accompany her. She takes nothing for granted. She is very demanding with herself, not only professionally but also personally. Chef Ana Macedo is a woman of few words, but attentive and observant.
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Guided by the creative pillars of O Paparico, the territory, the product, the recipe and the culture, together with seasonality, the path of Pastry is also guided by constant evolution. Its scope will be linked to the reinvention of what we call our gastronomic legacy, what is ours by inheritance and by right, giving it the fluidity of contemporaneity. This disruption, marked by new technical knowledge and greater access to a diversified panoply of products, ends up being a natural process. Practices change, maintaining the essence of the recipe.

That's what happened with the baked apple pre-dessert presented by Chef Ana Macedo at Forum JTG. This one was idealized, as previously mentioned, obeying the maxim of respecting time and seasonality: "Be creative with the seasons". The idea came up during a typical Portuguese heavy lunch, in which the proposed dessert was baked apple. It was at this moment that the Chef realised its de-fattening effect and if the pre-dessert, per se, consists of the transition moment between the salty and the sweet, the apple would be the key element of this composition. A tower in gradient gave the body to the abstract. Three types of apple were used, reinette, gala and green, in order to achieve different textures, sweetness and acidity.

"I resorted to texturing the flavours of the baked apple: at the base with caramel, in the centre with a duo of apple puree and caramel and at the top with apple puree and apple juice. Thus we have a degradé not only of colour but also of flavour. On top an apple and lemon sorbet and to finish a roasted apple sauce and fennel and clover oil." - explained briefly Chef Ana Macedo during the construction of the dish on stage.

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When questioned about the future of the restaurant, Chef Ana Macedo gave the voice to the person responsible for O Paparico's kitchen, Executive Chef Rúben Santos. Lifting the veil a little, he revealed that a totally new menu will be presented in relation to 2021, with new creations. The Menu à la carte and the Share Menu will be available within the reinvention and unusual moulds, as our guests are also used to. However, we reserve the presentation of a menu with a totally different structure, maintaining the bond of commitment to continue the creative process of constant evolution, presenting new dishes and moments every month. In this way, it will be possible to provide various types of gastronomic experiences at O Paparico. From giving the guest the possibility to personalise their experience, to being given total freedom to conduct it. There will be options for all tastes.
 
During the event, it became clear that the Pastry concept is gaining importance, that it is evolving and gaining ground in Portugal, it was important to make clear the symbiosis between the salty cuisine and the Pastry at O Paparico so that there is a creative coherence in each menu.
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After the introduction by Executive Chef Rúben Santos and the presentation by Pastry Chef Ana Macedo, those present were offered a surprise box. Both are simplified recreations of petit fours that were part of O Paparico's menus and are also composed of Nature's seasonal products, citrus fruits and black truffle. In the box there are two bonbons: one white chocolate, with bitter almond and citrus fruits, finished with lemon caviar and the other, also, dark chocolate, filled with hazelnut cream and black truffle, finished with hazelnut, grated black truffle and gold dust.

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