Tâbua Portuguesa Recipe

Name: Oporto Fooding House & Wines Tâbua Portuguesa Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 150 g jamon serrano (thinly sliced); 150 g aged queijo da serra (or a soft Portuguese cheese similar to Serra); 120 g semi-firm Portuguese cheese (e.g., São Jorge or queijo cura); 100 g firm sheep cheese (e.g., queijo amanteigado or other hard Portuguese cheese); 150 g marinated mixed olives (green and black); 140 g pickled baby vegetables (cornichons, pickled pearl onions, pickled carrots); 120 g Portuguese sweet fig or quince jam (doce de figo or doce de marmelo); 1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón); 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp finishing sea salt (coarse); 20 pieces olive oil crackers or thin crispbread; 1 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped, optional); 1 tsp lemon zest (optional, for brightness)

Inspired by Oporto Fooding House & Wine

Time45m

Serves6

Portuguese cheeses, jamon serrano, marinated olives, paprika, pickled vegetables, olive oil cracker

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Ingredients

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Charcuterie & Cheeses

5.29 oz (150 g) jamon serrano (thinly sliced)

5.29 oz (150 g) aged queijo da serra (or a soft Portuguese cheese similar to Serra)

4 1/4 oz (120 g) semi-firm Portuguese cheese (e.g., São Jorge or queijo cura)

3 1/2 oz (100 g) firm sheep cheese (e.g., queijo amanteigado or other hard Portuguese cheese)

Pickles, Olives & Accents

5.29 oz (150 g) marinated mixed olives (green and black)

4.94 oz (140 g) pickled baby vegetables (cornichons, pickled pearl onions, pickled carrots)

4 1/4 oz (120 g) Portuguese sweet fig or quince jam (doce de figo or doce de marmelo)

1 tsp smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp finishing sea salt (coarse)

Crackers & Garnish

20 pieces olive oil crackers or thin crispbread

1 tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped, optional)

1 tsp lemon zest (optional, for brightness)

Method

Charcuterie & Cheeses

Bring cheeses to temperature

Remove all cheeses from the refrigerator 30–45 minutes before serving so they come to room temperature. This improves aroma and texture and allows flavors to develop.

Slice and arrange cheeses

Trim any rinds as desired. Cut the semi-firm and firm cheeses into a mix of slices, triangles and bite-size cubes to encourage sharing. Leave the soft Serra or similar cheese in a wedge or spreadable portion; provide a small cheese knife for spreading.

Arrange jamon

Fan or loosely fold the jamon serrano slices into ribbons and arrange near the cheeses for easy pairing.

Pickles, Olives & Accents

Drain the marinated olives and place them in a small serving bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of the coarse sea salt over the olives, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, toss gently to coat, and garnish with a pinch of chopped parsley if using.

Drain pickled baby vegetables and place them in a second small bowl. Scatter 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika and a grind of black pepper over the pickles; drizzle lightly (about 1 teaspoon) of olive oil to take the edge off the vinegar if they are very sharp.

Spoon the fig or quince jam into a small dish. If the jam is very thick, stir in 1 teaspoon of warm water or 1 teaspoon olive oil to loosen it slightly for easier spreading.

Place the jamon, olives, pickled vegetables and jam near the cheeses so guests can combine items freely. Reserve remaining smoked paprika, sea salt and pepper at the board for finishing.

Crackers & Garnish

Place the olive oil crackers in a neat stack or fan them around the board. If desired, lightly brush a few crackers with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a dusting of smoked paprika for visual appeal and extra flavor.

Sprinkle the lemon zest lightly over the soft cheese wedge and dust a tiny pinch of finishing sea salt atop a few cheese pieces to highlight flavor. Scatter the remaining chopped parsley across the board for color.

Final assembly: choose a large wooden board or platter. Arrange cheeses with space between each type. Place bowls of olives, pickles and jam in gaps. Tuck jamon slices beside cheeses, fan crackers where they are easy to pick up, and finish with any remaining olive oil drizzled sparingly over cheeses or pickles. Provide cheese knives and small spoons for jam and pickles.