MEET THE CHEF: Carla Sousa of Sítio at the Valverde Hotel, Relais & Châteaux in Lisbon, Portugal

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5 Reasons to Visit® sat down with Executive Chef Carla Sousa of Sítio Restaurant at the Valverde Hotel, Relais & Châteaux in Lisbon, Portugal.

Executive Chef Carla Sousa

Where did you grow up, and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy? 

I was born and raised in the suburbs of Lisbon, surrounded by nature. I’m one out of five siblings and my parents, who came from Cape Verde, have always kept a vegetable garden, as well as animals such as chicken, ducks, turkeys, lambs, goats, and rabbits. All five of us were taught, since an early age, to take care and nurture these precious resources. We fed the animals, took care of the vegetable garden and accompanied the growth of every single lettuce, cabbage, carrot or broad bean that grew there. We were mostly fed from our small land and I think that my creative side comes from this authenticity, with having to do your best with whatever the land has to offer at a particular time. Although I have strong African influences, I decided to focus on Portuguese cuisine, as I truly believe it’s the best one in the whole world. It’s so well-balanced, healthy, tasty and creative! So, although I always end up mixing other cuisines and flavours, the traveling that inspires me the most is the one that takes place in Portugal.

Sítio at the Valverde Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal

Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself.

Every time my partner and I go on vacation or have a couple of days off, we love taking out a map of Portugal and picking a random place to visit. Normally it’s the least expected, most remote location that we can find. And if it has a quirky name, even better. And we take it from there. This is our way of discovering new places and also of experimenting new dishes.

The second step is finding where the most simple, traditional restaurants are. And discovering old recipes, ancient ways of cooking and those little secrets that make all the difference. When I come back to the hotel, I always bring some elements with me—whether it’s an ingredient, a technique, whatever—and incorporate them into my cooking.

The reason why I love going to these simpler restaurants is that they have a huge track record of doing their best with what they have at each season, at each moment. And this is what makes them super creative and original, in order to create tasty, different recipes.

Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already.

I can never resist a good dogfish soup! If you think of it, it’s a super simple dish, with a humble origin to it (dogfish was one of the few saltwater fish fairly accessible to most of the Alentejo region population, so they created this soup to feed the ones who worked the land), but its flavours are so authentic and so heartfelt that the final result is absolutely unique. It’s basically dogfish seasoned with olive oil, garlic, pepper, coriander, vinegar... all served in the shape of a soup with small pieces of cut bread—but the truth is that it tastes like food for your soul.

Sítio at the Valverde Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal

What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without? 

Garlic, coriander and olive oil.

We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?

I love seeing the look on people’s faces when they’re presented with my dishes. That wow factor coming from a super well-plated creation. It’s like a triangle, where you have authenticity, flavor and presentation. I love mixing different textures, adding unexpected ingredients and elements (one of my absolute favorites are edible flowers!), but the most important factor for me is color. I realized the power of color when my kids were small: I wanted them to eat vegetables and have a well- balanced diet and my go-to trick was cooking them fun, colorful, vibrant meals. They were always impressed by them and would eat everything until the last bite!

Sítio at the Valverde Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal

Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve created?

I’ll have to say the Vegan Blueberry Mousse in a Crunchy Oats Basket with Chia, Flax Seeds and Agave that I created recently. Because it has it all: it’s healthy, gluten and dairy free, light and beautiful looking.

Sítio at the Valverde Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal

Share your most recent awards and accreditations with us!

My most recent accreditation is the Advanced Culinary Techniques program at Le Cordon Bleu.

What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in top restaurants across the globe?

I’m very happy to see a series of trends that have to do with health. Cooking healthier, lighter dishes without giving up on flavor. Trends that not only address people who are on a specific diet, it being vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian or macrobiotic, but also a series of concerns, such as lactose and gluten intolerance. Up until a couple of years ago, people with dietary restrictions would not also feel the odd man out, they’d also struggle with finding relevant, tasty options. Nowadays, there’s always something for them in every single top restaurant.

What’s your favorite cocktail or beverage of choice?

The San Francisco cocktail but in a mocktail version, as I don’t normally drink.

What do you love most about being the Executive Chef at Sítio Restaurant at the Valverde Hotel, Relais & Châteaux in Lisbon, Portugal?

To start, the freedom that I was given, from day one, to experiment and create my signature cuisine. I was never given a briefing nor set any type of boundaries—and that makes all the difference in the world in terms of creativity. Also, the fact that Valverde Hotel is a Relais & Châteaux boutique hotel with unparalleled, personalized and attentive service, that allows me to leave the kitchen at any time and go to the dining room to chat with guests, get their feedback and learn from their input. That’s what teaches me the most and keeps me going: interacting with my guests!