At Porto, chef Marcos Campos makes a menu that revolves around fresh and dry-aged fish from Portugal. “One of the ingredients that’s the most iconic at the restaurant is our cod,” says Campos. “I think ours is so special because of the dry-aging process,” which he notes eliminates some moisture, allowing the fish to cook better over the fire.
“It’s a lot easier to break down the dry-aged fish because all of the proteins have solidified,” says chef de partie John Krunis. “It’s a long process to cure fish, two hours, and then you want to rinse it. You don’t want to serve it or grill it after you’ve rinsed it, so you need it to kind of dry out again.”
Right before service, the dried-out and cured cod pieces are grilled over hot charcoal and the skin gets crispier than it would if it had any of the pre-existing moisture.
Watch the full video to see how Campos and the rest of the Porto team make dishes with dry-aged tuna bellies, gooseneck barnacles, and more.