Aragon restaurant creates duck coxinha recipe in São Paulo

The kingdom of Aragon was born in the Iberian Peninsula during the Reconquest period, between the 8th and 15th centuries. The last king to govern the Crown was Fernando 2º, an important character in the Spanish colonization of America because of the financing of the first voyage of Christopher Columbus — who, by mistake, detoured westward and ended up discovering the new continent.

In the Jardins district, in São Paulo, the reign of the Aragon restaurant kitchen also belongs to a Fernando: Fernando Rios, son of Rafael Rios, a businessman who ran Don Curro, the oldest Spanish restaurant in the city, founded in 1958 and which closed its doors in July this year.

Different from what happened at Don Curro, Aragon’s gastronomy expanded borders and sought more Iberian references. So much so that the house’s greatest classic is duck rice (R$79, with chorizo ​​and crispy onion). “It was because of him that we had the idea of ​​creating other recipes with the bird”, explains Rios. From there came Pingos de Pato, the Achado da casa. It is a portion with four creamy drumsticks made with fresh pasta, béchamel sauce and shredded duck, served with sriracha aïoli, which costs R$ 44.

“The recipe is based on a croquette, but it is modeled in the shape of a coxinha. We wanted to change the presentation and differentiate ourselves from other Iberian houses in the area”, he says. The delicacy is part of the tascas (appetizers) section of the menu, alongside other classics — such as croquetas de jamón (R$ 48 with eight units) and the tuna picadito, which has fish cut at the tip of the knife, onion purple, dedo-de-moça, ginger, sweet chilli, mayo, root chips and nori powder (BRL 65).

To accompany the snacks, especially on hot days, you can’t miss a glass of clericot. The drink costs R$ 28 and includes white wine, chopped fruit, triple sec and soda.