Semea in Porto, Portugal

In northern Portugal, locals traditionally make a dessert called rabanadas by soaking day-old bread in milk, dipping it in eggs, frying it in oil, and serving it with a spiced syrup or cinnamon sugar. Chef Vasco Coelho Santos from Porto decided to innovate this traditional dish, inspired by a dessert he encountered in Spain. He soaks the bread in a mixture of milk, cream, and eggs, then freezes it and cuts it into cubes. To serve, he tosses the frozen cubes in sugar and caramelizes them in butter, searing them with a torch afterward. The result is a dark cube with a crispy exterior and a soft, milky center. The dish is paired with a scoop of rich, slightly tart ice cream made from queijo da Serra, a raw sheep's milk cheese from inland Portugal. This innovative dessert breaks away from the traditional rabanadas, offering a unique twist on a beloved regional treat. The chef's creativity has transformed the classic dish into a modern culinary experience. The new rabanadas dessert showcases the versatility of traditional ingredients and techniques in creating something new and exciting.