Fast Food

Written by Rosemary Mantini | 26 July 2010

It’s the antithesis of the gourmet food industry — rich in artery-clogging fat globules, containing levels of sodium that would make even the salt flats of Nevada cry, mass-produced on a scale and with a speed never before imagined. It’s fast food. And it’s the food world’s Next Big Thing!

I’m sure that, right now, you’re thinking that I’ve been enjoying a little too much vino with my hash browns. Not so. Even I know that coffee, tea and juice are the best accompaniments to that breakfast staple. Just for a minute, stretch the imagination, and (more importantly) the definition of fast food. Think Portuguese barbecue. Think churrasqueira (shoo-rash-kay-ra). Fast food just got a makeover. Family-owned and run, churrasqueiras are the Portuguese grill houses that dot the landscape in every Little Portugal across Canada. Let the ubiquitous burger and fries have their day. But the next time you’re craving something fast, fresh and healthy, think churrasqueira as your destination of choice. Most of these establishments are small outlets that focus on two or three main dishes. Occasionally, they’re large enough to offer other specialties, like roast suckling pig, grilled steak, cod and octopus. In any case, chicken is the star attraction.

It might seem as if Swiss Chalet and KFC have cornered the market on chicken. But churrasqueira chicken is decidedly different. Get it grilled (traditionally over hot coals) or rotisserie. Each style features unique flavours. Grilled chicken is split in half, flattened and rubbed with an assortment of spices and herbs. Then it’s cooked over open flames until it’s seared, caramelized and tasting of spice and smoke. No two restaurants use the same flavourful rub. Garlic, paprika, brown sugar and parsley are the stars in every rendition with support from myriad other herbs and spices. But that’s as detailed an ingredient list as you’re likely to get. Recipes are closely guarded family secrets, as I discovered when the usually talkative owner of my local churrasqueira suddenly clammed up when I asked for the recipe. At first, I thought he hadn’t heard my question. But, one shrug of his shoulders coupled with a dismissive glance confirmed otherwise. He was divulging nothing to no one.

Looking to spice up your life? Try the rotisserie chicken, cooked on a spit, covered with thick brush strokes of piri piri sauce and served whole. As hot as it is red, piri piri is made from the scorching hot peppers of the same name originally hailing from Angola and Mozambique. The peppers are chopped and mixed with salt, olive oil and vinegar. This sensation could easily be called the national sauce of Portugal. Aficionados daub it on practically everything, from rice and vegetables to seafood and meat. Piri piri sauce is as spicy as Tabasco sauce, but with an intense heat that’s slightly delayed until after you’ve savoured its inherent flavours of salt and citrus.

Just like all fast food outlets, churrasqueiras offer classic accompaniments to their chicken. Steamed cauliflower and broccoli alongside rice and roasted Parisian potatoes are typical offerings. (Parisian potatoes are called such because they’re formed into elegant little round balls using a Parisian scoop – a.k.a. a melon baller. Look for bags of Parisian potatoes at your local grocer, or take a few potatoes, peel them and scoop some out yourself.)