Chefs Emeril And E.J. Lagasse Share Their Portuguese Heritage And Family Recipes

Growing up, Emeril Lagasse found his calling in the kitchen by cooking alongside his mother, Hilda. Arms barely reaching the counter, he would peel vegetables from their small backyard garden—about as much as a 7-year-old could do to assist—while she made Portuguese staples like caldo verde, a comforting soup with greens, sausage, and potatoes.

When he was 12, he began helping out at a family-owned bakery in his hometown (a Portuguese community near the eastern shore of Mount Hope Bay in Massachusetts), washing pots and pans until he was able to persuade the bakers to teach him how to make pastries and bread. “I wore them down after a few months,” he says, chuckling. “They took a liking to me.”

Emeril's New Orleans Legacy

It came on simply, his fondness for all things food. Stoked by his mother’s culture and cuisine, he developed his passion at the bakeshop, which led him to culinary school and eventually to New Orleans, where, at age 23, he became executive chef at the legendary Commander’s Palace. In 1990, he opened his own place, Emeril’s, which just celebrated its 34th anniversary. 

Then, of course, there was the television fame. With charisma beaming clear through the screen, he taught home cooks how to “kick it up a notch” by using spices with wild abandon and throwing splashes of booze in the pan. He has gone on to open more restaurants, but his flagship still remains the most beloved, even as it has changed with the times thanks to a recent revamp. “It’s not easy staying open that long,” he admits. “Now, we’re looking toward the next 34 years.”

E.J. Lagasse on Coming Home

In the newly renovated kitchen at the chef’s namesake eatery, there’s a growing legacy at work, strengthening with every drizzle of gumbo-inspired sauce and slice of salmon cheesecake. Emeril is there (not every night, but sometimes), off to the side, watching orders come in and go out. In the middle of the flurry of plates and steam is someone else: his son, E.J. Lagasse, furrowing those same thick brows and wearing the same chef’s coat as his father.

By the time E.J. was born, Emeril had been a celebrity chef for more than a decade. It wasn’t long before that same passion for food grabbed hold of the younger Lagasse. E.J. admits that having unbridled access to his dad’s world helped foster that interest. “I was running around his kitchens when I was just a kid, probably causing trouble but really wanting to learn—even then,” he remembers. 

In a move that took the culinary world by surprise, E.J. stepped up to take the helm at Emeril’s at just 19 years old, wielding skills honed from a well-seasoned childhood and from receiving his training at the same school as his father. “It wasn’t a question,” E.J. says. “I’d worked in other kitchens before—my dad wanted to make sure of that—but I knew I wanted to be back here.” 

Honoring Their Portuguese Roots

Just as Hilda had created a tether to Portuguese food with her son, Emeril did the same. “It was something that just seeped into me naturally through his and my grandmother’s cooking,” says E.J. “When I was younger, she would make certain dishes that still always remind me of her, like the Portuguese stuffing (recheio) that she cooked every Thanksgiving. Whenever fall comes around, I crave it.” 

Since stepping up as chef patron last year, E.J. has called upon those childhood recipes even within the restaurant’s fine-dining, subtly Cajun-leaning menu. “Our guests might not realize that they’re eating something inspired by my grandmother, but that makes it all the more fun,” he says. Cultural nods can be found in seasonal dishes like quail stuffed with recheio and fish bathed in caldo verde. 

Get the Recipes

Hilda's Portuguese Stewed Chicken

These family favorites include Hilda’s stewed chicken with its rich, slowly simmered seasoned broth, make appearances on the family table and at holidays.

Portuguese Custard Tartlets

As do the traditional Portuguese tartlets of Emeril’s pastry-shop days, which have a sweet and silky custard filling and a golden, bite-size crust. Emeril and E.J. once attempted to make a giant version, which was similar to a chess pie. 

Opening a New Restaurant

The father-son duo is celebrating their ancestry even more with a new establishment called 34 Restaurant & Bar, expected to open this fall. Named in honor of their connection as the third and fourth men named Emeril in their family, it is entirely dedicated to Portuguese cuisine.

Reminiscent of the lively, wood-fired kitchens found in Portugal, it features a menu of rotating daily tapas and is a romantic ode to their roots—and to Hilda, who passed away in 2016 after living in New Orleans for more than two decades. “She’s always served as a huge inspiration in my cooking and life,” says Emeril. “I want to share it with whoever walks through our doors.” 

For many years, Emeril’s food has felt like an extension of himself, but it’s not only his anymore; E.J. continues the delicious legacy started by his father and grandmother. “I’ve had the pleasure of watching my son take the lead and put his own spin on things,” Emeril says. “It is not a given that you’ll end up sharing a career with one of your children, so I cherish that.”