“I think we cook well those dishes we like to eat the most.” This candid statement about signature dishes comes from the Brazilian chef Marcílio da Silva, 38, who currently runs the kitchen of the charming Arches Wine Bar, in London.

With an exquisite wine selection and located at walking distance from Swiss Cottage tube station, the Arches offers to their patrons the opportunity to try simple and delicious plates from this chef who moved to the UK in 2009 and since then has created his own interpretation for classics of British, Italian, and Brazilian cuisines.

A former geography undergraduate, chef Marcílio tells that his love story with London and the United Kingdom was influenced by one of his professors, who always used English history as an illustration for his classes.

Paradoxically, he comes from a place that couldn’t be more geographically opposed to London: Recife, the capital of state of Pernambuco. Home of 1,5 million “pernambucanos”, the first Law school in Brazil and of one of the most famous street Carnivals in the country (whose symbol is a gigantic cock doll, the Dawn Cock), the city is known by its locals as “Hellcife” due to its average annual temperatures that oscillate between 26ºC and 31ºC.

Marcílio grew up as just any typical Brazilian boy next door whose mother was a great cook who worked for a very rich family. And it was from her that he learned the basics of Brazilian cuisine. “Because my mother had to work, she used to leave some pre-seasoned meat with instructions for me and my eldest sister to cook it, alongside with rice, beans, and vegetables.”

Something else he learned from his mother was to cook food for days. According to him, the idea behind it is a typical saying in Brazilian families: “where ten can eat, so can eat eleven”. “I also loved the way she would wake up early, go to the market, get a lot of ingredients and at lunch time there was tons of food at the table.”

That’s why his signature dish couldn’t be something too foreigner: slow cooked short ribs. But when it comes to meat, his talent goes further. “I obviously have my recipe of picanha [Brazilian most popular beef cut] with caramelized onions and chimichurri sauce. But I think there’s no secret to prepare a good steak. If it is good quality, salt and pepper is enough.”

The path to become a chef started in London, however, not necessarily at the stove, but as a dish washer. His organizational skills led him to receive an invitation from an Italian colleague that was opening a small restaurant. There, his job evolved to preparing the plates, selecting ingredients, among other tasks. And from that experience his cooking style became a mix of Italian, Brazilian and British.

The Arches menu reflects this eclecticism bringing lamb cutlets, burrata salad, tiger prawns, sirloin steak, pasta Bolognese and the British essential fish and chips.

Fish and chips, honey…
For chef Marcílio, British people are very open in terms of food, always searching for what is authentic and loving the storytelling around the food. “They have a lot of influence of Indian spices, but, in the end, they are very attached to the traditional fish and chips and the shepherd’s pie.”

For him, the good fish and chips must be made with cod or haddock, and the secret is the batter. “Many people use sparkling water to make it crisp, but I use dark ale and a touch of honey. I also add some vinegar, because when it fries, it will evaporate fast, airing the batter properly. Then the honey will caramelise and make it crunchy.”

When it comes to the chips, the Brazilian chef says it must be triple cooked. “First you cook it on steam, with the skin, then you fry it on a low temperature to confit for a few minutes, then you cool it down, and deep fry again in a high temperature. It will be crispy outside and soft inside.”

British cuisine has a lot of good food that people don’t know outside Britain. Shepperd’s pie, for instance, another favourite on Marcílio’s menu. “I use ground lamb cooked in low temperature with a sofrito of carrots, celery, and onions, just like a Bolognese sauce. The you add a roasted lamb’s leg and mashed potatoes aromatised with lavender. And a good cheddar, please, because you are in Britain.”

After all this delicious chat, Cooking Stories has asked chef Marcílio to share two of his favourite recipes from Brazilian and English cuisine. His choices were the Brazilian moqueca (which in Brazil is only called moqueca), a fish stew with coconut milk and palm oil, typical from his hometown, and his version of fish and chips. Enjoy!

Method
1. Prepare the Fish:
Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare the Batter:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, honey, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Gradually whisk in the beer until smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

3. Prepare the Chips:
Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 175°C. Fry the potato strips in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt while still hot.

4. Fry the Fish:
Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 190°C. Dip each fish fillet into the batter, allowing excess to drip off, then carefully place into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

5. Serve:
Serve the crispy fish hot with the crispy chips on the side. Enjoy with mushy minted peas and your favourite dipping sauce, such as tartar sauce or malt vinegar.