‘It's all about listening and learning’ - Chef Neven Maguire

Cavan’s much-loved chef Neven Maguire returns to our TV screens this January with the third series of Neven’s Portuguese Food Trails. This seven-part culinary adventure takes the owner of the famous MacNean House in Blacklion from the verdant North to the sun-drenched South as he discovers more flavours, stories, and culinary traditions that make Portugal a food lover’s paradise. And, he’s a huge fan of the country’s food and its people.

Speaking to The Anglo-Celt this week, he highlighted how every day is a school day, explaining how he learned so much more than he bargained for on this particular trip!

“We went up the north of Portugal, which we haven’t done very much of; a place called Braga and then made our way down the country,” he continued before adding it’s his third time visiting Portugal.

“I think this particular programme is as much about travel as it is about food and meeting the producers, and the people and doing touristy stuff like painting, which I haven’t done before.”

He says the food in Portugal is both “diverse and different”.

“Down in the Algarve, which is close to the sea, that is more fish based; whereas up the north they eat a lot of rice and pork. And, something I’ve never had before is their specialty rice dish with fresh pork blood. I just love the Portuguese people; I think their food is really interesting, very different, they’ve gorgeous wines and I just think it’s a wonderful country. It’s one of my favourites actually.”

Neven feels “very lucky” to have been given opportunities to create wonderful food programmes in Ireland, Spain and Portugal. “RTE has been very good to me,” he says.

“The shows in Ireland are showcasing great Irish food, producers, restaurants and cafés whereas this show in Portugal, which is a very diverse country, afforded me the opportunity to meet a lot of Irish people over there. I think it’s one of the top markets for Irish people to go. They just seem to really, really like Portugal; it’s safe, they are good people and as I say, the food is very interesting.”

Fusion

So, with all these trips and new skills in the making, is Neven bringing that fusion to his own creations at his award-winning MacNean House & Bistro in Blacklion?

“For me I suppose, it’s about listening and learning, and you never stop learning about food and ingredients,” he affirms. “Have I ever done a rice dish with pork blood? No. But I absolutely thought it was amazing. The way they utilised every part of the pork - the ear, the nose, the intestines - I’ve never seen that. They make their own black pudding and have great respect for the ingredients. As a chef, you never stop learning and you feel very, very lucky to see, to eat, to learn and to watch all the chefs doing what they do.”

MacNean House

Neven sources most of his ingredients locally. He says that, as far as he is concerned, “we have some of the best food in the world in Ireland and in the north west and in Cavan”. “It’s lovely to see more and more people being aware of that. We are a small country but by God the farming community is doing a really, really good job; we have some of the best meat in the world. I’m very proud of where I come from. In Blacklion we have Thorn Hill Duck, which is world class. It really is such a great product from a Cavan producer and small farmer. It’s lovely to see and recognise where your food comes from. We put every producer on our menu and are very proud of what we use.”

Takeaways & sandwiches

And the burning question of the interview… Does Neven eat takeaway or a simple ham and cheese sandwich?

“If I went to your house and you made me a ham and cheese sandwich, I’d love you for it because I love simple things and there is nothing nicer than getting a nice tasty sandwich handed to you,” he laughs before admitting that he does “eat a takeaway, yes - not an awful lot but I do”. Neven also pointed to how he likes “to cook from scratch and to cook at home”, something he believes is “the key”.

His twins Conor and Lucia are 12 years’ old now and he’s busy “teaching them” about cooking and about food. Will one or both follow in their dad’s footsteps?

Here & Now

“I don’t want to put pressure on my son but he says he wants to be a chef,” adds Neven. “One thing I have learned from being part of a big family is that, once he enjoys food, enjoys the coming together of everyone and being part of the celebration of food, that is the great thing to be able to do. For me it’s about keeping it simple; I’m proud of where I come from in Blacklion; we have great local people and the restaurant is open 35 years. If my son or daughter wants to be a chef in the future, I’ll be so happy about that.”

Programme

Neven’s Portuguese Food Trails, episode one, airs this Wednesday, January 8, at 8pm on RTÉ One. He begins his journey in Viana do Castelo, a picturesque coastal town in northern Portugal where he explores the rich bounty of the Atlantic Ocean, and samples freshly caught seafood at the Pousada Viana do Castelo where he is staying. Neven also travels up a mountain to the stunning Basilica de Santa Luzia; visits Dona Farinha, a traditional bakery to learn how to make a special cake; and tastes wines from a local winery Quinta de Paços. He also visits Camelo restaurant where he meets chef Andrea Matos and enjoys an authentic tasting menu, followed by a trip to the village of Ponte De Lima.

He completes this first episode by cooking two desserts - Chocolate Salami and Portuguese Custard.