“I was born in Portugal but grew up in the UK from the age of two,” says Nuno Gabriel, executive chef at Melbourne’s Punch Lane. Growing up in a pre-gentrified Notting Hill, Gabriel’s migrant parents were part of a thriving, food-loving Portuguese expat community. “My London life at home was very Portuguese,” says Gabriel. “I grew up in a Portuguese restaurant my dad had. I was already into cooking because we were from a big agricultural family from the south of Portugal, where the family was very into pedigree breeds of bulls and olive growing.”
Though Melbourne has just a small Portuguese community, Gabriel remains connected to his roots through cuisine. At Punch Lane, this is most apparent in a traditional Portuguese dish that has quietly been gaining a cult following: caldeirada.
“A caldeirada is the Portuguese version of the bouillabaisse,” says Gabriel, referring to the better-known French fish stew. “It’s the kind of dish fishermen would cook at sea before they came into land with some of the catch they had.”
Gabriel says there’s no steadfast rule when it comes to caldeirada – the ingredients vary throughout Portugal. “In the south it’s a very Arabesque-style food,” says Gabriel. “Saffron is a big thing that goes in there.” But you’ll always find a jumble of fresh fish and a savoury, spicy flavour profile from a base of tomato paste, white wine, chilli and capsicum.
Growing up, Gabriel’s father would serve a version of caldeirada in his restaurant. But the Punch Lane incarnation is typically elevated.
“The last one we did, I had red mullet,” says Gabriel. “I had Hervey Bay scallops, tommy rough, monkfish – which is a fish very much used in Portugal – sea bream, clams and mussels.” Everything is cooked in a traditional vessel called a cataplana. “It looks like a wok but with a lid on,” says Gabriel. “You cook everything in there and just twist either side. You’re not stirring the fish so it doesn’t break down.” Unlike its French cousin bouillabaisse, which normally splits the broth and fish into two separate courses, caldeirada is served in one, accompanied by a thick cornbread that Gabriel likens to Irish soda bread.
An off-menu open secret
There’s only been one barrier to experiencing Gabriel’s caldeirada so far. “It’s off-menu,” he says. “But [I think] I’m going to put it on there a little bit more, because everyone’s asking for it all the time.” Gabriel’s stew might be a bit of an open secret now, but word to the wise: even though you know it’s there, you can’t just rock up to Punch Lane and dive in.
“You can order it 24 hours before,” says Gabriel. If you’re lucky (and well-prepared) enough to order the caldeirada, it’ll arrive in a clay pot, and a waiter serves it tableside. “It’s a showpiece and a bit of theatre.”
For Gabriel, the chance to enthral diners with a dish that reflects his Portuguese heritage and upbringing is priceless. “The reason we got out of bed to cook for our aunties or mums or dads was them being satisfied,” says Gabriel. “[To get] that smile on their face when you’ve done something they really appreciate. As a chef, I don’t care what anyone tells you – that’s why we cook. We’re feeders and we like to please people.”
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