A Taste of Portugal: Tinned Seafood and Wine Pairing Lunch

At The Last Supper, we’re always on the hunt for ways to bring the world’s most delicious traditions to Darwin — and this time, we turned our focus to the beautiful coastal flavours of Portugal.

Portuguese cuisine is all about honest, bold flavours. And while Portugal is famous for its hearty plates, there’s a particular love affair with something more humble yet packed with pride: tinned seafood (or conservas).

Whether it’s sardines, cod, mackerel, or razor clams, tinned seafood is treated with serious respect — often enjoyed simply with warm bread, fresh salads, or even straight from the can.

For our special lunch, we explored these traditions with four seafood dishes, each paired with an exceptional Portuguese or Spanish drink. Here's how the afternoon unfolded:

Welcome Drink: Infantado Dry White Port

We kicked off with something unexpected: a chilled glass of Infantado Dry White Port. Crafted from Gouveio, Rabigato, and Viosinho grapes, this Port is aged for three years in oak, creating a fresh, savoury, and lightly nutty character.

Dry White Port makes a brilliant aperitif, pairing beautifully with seafood thanks to its crisp acidity and delicate complexity.

Lean more about Infantado Dry White Port

Dish 1: Spanish Mackerel Dip with House-Made Bread and Caperberries

Paired with: Mini Anchovy Martini

We opened the meal with a Spanish Mackerel dip — rich, creamy, and full of ocean flavours — served alongside house-made bread , caperberries and lemon.

To match, we served a Mini Anchovy Martini: a classic vodka martini fat-washed with anchovy olive oil, giving it a silky texture and a subtle, savoury depth.

Recipe

175 g smoked mackerel fillets

3 tbsp cream cheese

1 tsp capers chopped

2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp chopped fresh basil

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp mixed olives pitted and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of dried chilli flakes

Whizz everything in food processor on pulse to leave some texture

Dish 2: Cod Fish in Biscayne Sauce with Salad

Paired with: Quinta do Casal Branco 'Peter & The Wolf' Sauvignon Blanc Blend

Next came a dish inspired by the flavours of both Portugal and Spain: cod cooked in a smoky, peppery Biscayne sauce, balanced with a fresh, bright salad. Cod is a staple of Portuguese cuisine.

Learn more about Peter & The Wolf Sauvignon Blanc Blend

Recipe

• Tomatoes

• Onions

• Cucumbers

• Lettuce

• Herbs like parsley and cilantro

• Olive oil

• Red wine vinegar

• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut up your veggies into salad size pieces.

2. Mix the red wine. Olive oil, salt and pepper, shake.

3. Add the dressing to the salad, add the cod and break it up through the salad. Serve

Dish 3: Cocagne Sardines with Grilled Green Capsicum

Paired with: Kopke Dry White Porto

For the third dish, we honoured one of Portugal’s most iconic conservas: sardines. We served Cocagne Sardines in olive oil with simply grilled green capsicum, letting the pure flavours shine through.

Learn more about Kopke Dry White Porto

Recipe

Side dish:

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 green capsicum

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Sauce:

Coriander

Parsley

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice plus finely grated zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Sardines (keep the oil)

Grilled sourdough bread, to serve

Instructions:

1. Put the onion in a small bowl with a pinch of sea salt, add water to cover, and leave to soak for a few minutes (this will take some of the sharp bite out of the onion). Drain and rinse.

2. Blend up the coriander and parsley (leaves and stalks), lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Roast the capsicum, remove the skin and slice finely.  Mix in with the white wine vinegar, and a few tablespoons of the herb paste . Leave to marinate until you are ready to serve.

4. Slice bread, drizzle some olive oil and toast.

5. Grill the bread with a bit of olive oil. Spoon some of the herb paste onto the grilled bread and top with a sardine, then add more paste. Serve the peppers on the side. Drizzle some of the oil from the tin on top before serving.

Dish 4: Arroz de Lingueirão – Authentic Razor Clam Rice

Paired with: Terra do Rio Touriga Nacional 2021

We ended on a high note with Arroz de Lingueirão — a beloved Portuguese razor clam rice. Hearty, briny, and full of soul, this dish is pure comfort food straight from the southern coast of Portugal.

Learn more about Terra do Rio Touriga Nacional 2021

Recipe

Razor Clams (keep the juice in the tin and add in place of the water)

400 g risotto rice

1 Large Onion – thinly sliced

2 Medium tomatoes – roughly chopped

1 Bay Leaf

180 g green capsicum

2 Garlic Cloves – minced

1 litre of  Water

100 ml White Wine

1 cup of tomato passata

Salt & pepper

Fresh coriander finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, onions, garlic, capsicum and bay leaf. Cook everything for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the tomato, and a pinch of salt, let it cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add the rice to the onion mixture. Add the white wine, passata, then the clam liquid. Season it with salt, black pepper, stir it then cover it with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. Check if the rice is cooked, then add the clams and more water if needed. Let it simmer for another2 minutes.

4. Remove it from the heat, stir through the coriander and season with salt and pepper.