PORTUGAL

Portugal faces the Atlantic

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Spain, Portugal is today’s hot-spot vacation destination, and world travellers are enthralled by the unique yet familiar cuisine of my country.

Portugal faces the Atlantic, smells of the Atlantic, breathes the Atlantic, has an Atlantic soul... but its cuisine is more Mediterranean than it seems.

The Portuguese love olives; they eat a lot of cheese and use sautéed onion and garlic as the basis of almost all their dishes. 

All very Mediterranean customs. However, coriander is the national aromatic herb. Ginger and chillies give an exotic touch to some of the dishes, such as the popular "piri-piri" chicken, garnished with a chilli sauce which also goes perfectly with barbecued fish. 

Across the country, it is known as "frango da Guia" (charcoal-grilled chicken), its fame being traditionally associated with a restaurant in the Algarve.

Franguinho da Guia

If we were to define a Portuguese menu - no easy task because there are so many specialties to choose from – the following dishes could not be left out. 

Starters

Cheese, olives, butter and olive oil
The cheese might be from Serra da Estrela, creamy sheep’s cheese that is shaped and wrapped in a cloth while it's fresh. The result is a tasty cheese with a slightly acidic-bitter aftertaste. Or the famous São Jorge cheese, produced in the Azores from cow's milk, with a strong aroma and slightly spicy flavour. Or Castelo Branco, a soft cheese from cow's milk, fat and heavy. The three are denomination of origin protected, but there are other equally interesting and delicious cheeses.

Green or black olives are almost always served seasoned, and it is customary to use them in the kitchen as another ingredient.

Soup is a mainstay of the Portuguese dinner table. The best known of all is probably "caldo verde" (cabbage soup), considered the national Portuguese dish, actually more common in the home than cod. It is made with potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, chorizo and "couve-galega” (kale). Another excellent choice is fish soup, which is prepared differently in every coastal town, and therein lies its charm.

Fish

The Portuguese are big fish-eaters – they love it. More than 80 different varieties are caught off its coast, including clams and mussels, but the star is cod, which comes to us from the North Atlantic rather than Portuguese waters. It can be cooked a hundred different ways. The most popular recipes are: Bacalhau à Brás, or dourado (golden), (with chips and eggs); Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (in the oven with boiled potatoes and boiled egg); Bacalhau com Natas (cooked in cream) and pataniscas (fried cod cakes).
Sardines and red mullet are favourites amongst Lisbonites, while octopus is a great weakness throughout the country. In the south, kebabs, for which the fish is cut into chunks for roasting on the barbecue, are very popular.

Meat

Inland, pork is the mainstay of the kitchen. It is used from the north to the south. Every part of the pig is used, from snout to tail, either fresh or in cured sausages.
The best of the Iberian pig breed are raised in the Alentejo hills, and fed on acorns. That's why the most popular dish is carne de porco à alentejana (stewed pork with clams and potatoes), a delicacy from "sea and mountain", which clearly displays the Portuguese affection for seafood. Another very popular dish, especially in central Portugal, is roast suckling pig from Bairrada.

Desserts

The choice for this course is very complicated. The Portuguese have a very sweet tooth, and the country’s pastries are both varied and excellent.

Pastel de Belém

Undoubtedly the most popular are the pastéis de nata from Belém: small pastries filled with custard and slightly toasted.
No less delightful are the queijadas from Sintra, with a pinch of salt; the ovos-moles (egg paste) from Aveiro; the Abade de Priscos crème caramel typical of Braga; and fig cheese, a dessert of figs and nuts that has not the slightest trace of cheese, despite the name.





If you prefer an exclusive dish…
The bouillabaisses from the north and the cataplanas from the south are healthy, substantial fish and vegetables dishes.

Time for a contemporary cuisine

Alongside the popular cuisine linked to the tradition and the land, a group of young chefs has been trying to put Portugal on the map of contemporary cuisine. Among these, the best known are José Avillez, probably the best Portuguese chef at the moment, and Leonel Pereira.

Although the international guidebooks highlight the best hotel kitchens, especially in the Algarve, it is in Lisbon and Porto that the battle for contemporary cuisine is being waged. Names like Enrique Mouro (Assinatura), Luís Américo (Mesa), Ricardo Costa (Yeatman), Rui Paula (DOC) and Victor Sobral (Tasca da Esquina) are responsible for revitalising Portuguese cuisine.

TRADITIONAL DISHES FROM PORTUGAL


1. COZIDO A PORTUGUESA

Please meet the king of all stews! Portuguese stew is the perfect example of the importance of using all the meat an animal can provide. This meaty bomb includes beef, pork, chicken and a variety of pork derivatives also some vegetables thrown in the mix, but one must admit this is a dish for meat lovers.

2. CALDO VERDE

The most traditional of Portuguese soups is as simple as it gets: onions, potatoes and kale, cooked with garlic and olive oil. Nothing says winter comfort food like a good serving of caldo verde in a traditional clay pot. 

3. FEIJOADA TRASMONTANA

Do not eat this on the same day as a Cozido a Portuguesa, unless you have a true desire of exploding!
 Feijoada stands for bean stew, but you know it wouldn't be a Portuguese stew if you didn't throw a variety of heavy meats into the mix! 

4. BACALHAU A BRAS

Out of the numerous ways to prepare salted cod fish in Portugal, “Bras style” is one of the most popular and I honestly salivate just to think about it. The shredded cod is sautéed in a pan along with plenty of onions and straw fried potatoes. This dish is finished up with beaten eggs that cook as they join the pan, and topped with parsley and black olives. This is the essence of a country inside a plate!

5. AMEIJOAS A BULHAO PATO

More than a meal, clams Bulhao Pato style are a snack, best enjoyed with ice-cold beer. It’s very popular as appetizer as well, and a tasty way to get your juices flowing. Clams are cooked until tender in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and plenty of cilantro. Other similar clam dishes might feature this seafood cooked in white whine, butter and herbs, which is as good! Very important: you will need bread to dip into the sauces, as I can guarantee you wouldn’t want a drop to be left on the plate.

6. ROJOES A MODA DO MINHO

Because Portugal has a never ending affair with pork, rojoes are abundant to keep the spark alive! Chunks of pork loin cooked in the very same pig’s lard, and seasoned with garlic and white wine. Served with stewed potatoes, variations of this dish may include roasted chestnuts. It can sometimes be served with a side of ”arroz de sarrabulho”, which is a loose rice dish that includes little bits of meat.

7. PASTEIS DE BACALHAU

These cod fish fritters can be savoured as a starter or snack, or along with rice and salad as main dish.
 The batter behind this fried goodness is made of shredded cod fish, potatoes, eggs and parsley and is cooked until golden crispy on the outside but smooth and melty on the inside.

8. AÇORDA ALENTEJANA

This typical dish of the southern region of Alentejo is as good as it gets when it comes to comfort food with a rustic touch. The basic recipe for açorda would be made of mashed bread with olive oil, coriander, salt, eggs and water but more complete versions might include cod fish or shrimps. It’s not a soup and it’s not a stew, it’s something in between: the unique açorda!

9. ALHEIRA DE MIRANDELA

Translate “alheira” into sausage doesn’t almost make justice to this unique combination that, yes looks like a sausage, but is so much more than that! Meats stuffed into an alheira may include veal, chicken, duck and rabbit, compacted together with bread. If you have “alheira de caça” it means that it will only have game meat. This unusual sausage was created by the Jews in Portugal when they were forced to convert to Christianity. Their true religion wouldn’t allow them to eat pork but by preparing this sausage looking dish, they could easily fool others that will think alheira would be made out of pork, like all the other Portuguese cuts looking alike. No matter what religion you follow, eating a fried alheira, with a fried egg and fries can make you feel an outer-body experience!

10. ARROZ DE PATO

In case you don’t appreciate pork meat and are frustrated by most of the suggestions above, let’s end on a ducky note. In Portugal, duck rice is cooked until the meat is ridiculously tender, simmered in red whine, and oven toasted along with the rice until the top is crispy. The rice absorbs the juices of the duck and is traditionally topped up with sliced smoked sausages. It’s a true feast of flavour.

People think that Portuguese food means grilled chicken. Perhaps with a little bit of peri-peri – thanks to Nando’s for the stereotype! It’s true that the Portuguese love their grilled chicken, but our cuisine goes way beyond that.
We care for meats but we also take our fish very seriously, as we’re a country by the sea.

11. POLVO À LAGAREIRO

Polvo is considered a delicacy in my country and it is even eaten in special occasions such as Christmas Eve dinner. Also, during summer, cold octopus salad is commonly served as appetizer in seafood restaurants.
But if there is one preparation that makes octopus stand out in all its glory, that would have to be Polvo à Lagareiro. Roasted octopus drenched in the finest of olive oils makes for a simple yet decadent serving of comfort food. 

12. BACALHAU COM NATAS

Amongst the hundreds of recipes that use this fish as star ingredient, cod with cream is a popular and beloved one. Shredded cod and potatoes baked in the oven, softened up by generous amounts of cream. A smooth concoction of bold fishy flavours along with delicate potatoes and dairy.

13. ARROZ DE MARISCO

Unlike the paella from our Spanish Neighbours across the border or the risotto from further ahead, Portuguese seafood rice is wet, almost soupy. A variety of fishes and other creatures from the sea swim in rich tomato infused broth, allowing you to try what the open sea tastes like. Prawns, lobster, white fish, clams, crab and others make Portuguese seafood rice a truly special treat.

14. FRANCESINHA

Originally from Porto, this mighty sandwich’s name translates into Little Frenchy. Urban legend says that it was the adaptation of a French Croque Monsieur that a returned immigrant made after coming back to his motherland. More than cheese and ham, this sandwich packs an extravaganza of heart-attack inducing cured meats, swimming in gravy. The sauce is what makes Francesinha special, and many places in Porto pride themselves in having a secret recipe for it. Take your knife and fork, ’cause Francesinha isn't a sandwich to eat on the go!

15. CABRITO ASSADO

Think meaty, rich and intense: this is what roasted young goat is all about. Very typical in the Northern regions of Portugal, cabrito is mostly served with oven-roasted potatoes. This festive dish is sometimes cooked on wood-fire oven, taking several hours for the meat to be cooked, soft and easily pulled off the bone. There is just something about this preparation that feels like Sunday.

16. CALDEIRADA

What do you do when you live in a country surrounded by coastline with abundant and delicious seafood? You create Caldeirada, a fish stew where anything goes and everything together tastes glorious.
The ingredients in Caldeirada depend on the catch of the day, but would normally include a variety of fishes, shellfish and other seafood, cooked in a broth similar to the one used in Seafood Rice. A lot of tomatoes, herbs, a variety of spices and, often, white or port wine, Caldeirada tastes like a day out walking by the beach.

17. BITOQUE

Bitoque stands for something as simple as steak and fries, topped with a fried egg. You might think this is no extraordinary creation, as it has certainly been done before. But I can guarantee you that the way those thin beef steaks are marinated with heaps of garlic and olive oil will convince you that bitoque is not just a steak.

18. SARDINHA ASSADA

No dish says Portugal as sardines grilled on charcoal – so simple, so good! It’s all about the freshness of the fish and the smokey taste from the grill. If you order sardinhas in a restaurant, they’ll probably be served with potatoes and veggies. But out in the streets, during the summer festivities of Santo Antonio, they can be eaten on the go atop a piece of thick corn bread, with roasted peppers salad. Yes, a generous amount of olive oil will be making it all wet and delicious, because this is Portugal!

Madeiran Food

Madeira Island – ‘the pearl of the Atlantic’ – keeps the promise of extraordinary holidays with its magnificent scenery, mild climate, serene ambience, colourful folk traditions and, last but not least, its seductive gastronomy. The local cuisine is based on peasant traditions, and in general terms, the closer you can get to the traditional methods of preparation and cooking, the better it tastes.

Although starters are not a high point on the local menus, a hot bolo do caco with garlic butter and parsley, a typical wheat flour bread, appears on the top of every menu. Very much in favour with the locals are grilled limpets for starting a nice meal. Served with garlic and a squeeze of lemon, this specialty comes in a hot pan directly from the grill.

Limpets... Local Madeiran (and Azores) delicacy! 

Bolo do Caco

Bolo de Caco is a very traditional and signature eat in Madeiran cuisine. Bolo do caco is a round bread that is traditionally cooked on a caco, a basalt stone slab. The bread is usually served simply with garlic butter and is usually eaten as a sandwich with typical Madeiran foods like octopus, meat skewers (espetada), milho frito, and also used as the bread for a typical Portuguese Prego steak sandwich. It is quite a simple and easy to make recipe that is very delicious and always sure to impress

FRIED CORNMEAL (MILHO FRITO)

Milho Frito is one of the most signature and traditional dishes in Madeiran cuisine. They are deep fried cornmeal based treats filled with kale and other typical seasoning's. They have unbelievable flavour and taste and are perfect when being served on their own or typically as an accompaniment to meat

Espetada 

The most traditional dish is the famous beef kebab on a bay-leaf stick, which gives it an unmistakable flavour.

Carne de vinho e alhos (pork with wine and garlic)

Always appreciated on every occasion, carne vinho e alhos, a dish consisting of small pieces of pork meat left to marinade for at least for a day in a mixture of garlic, wine vinegar and bay leaves, before it is cooked in the same sauce.

Espada (Black scabbardfish)

Espada fish is catched in the very deep water that surrounds Madeira.
This fish, that looks very ugly when you see it with head and all, is used in many traditional dishes.
The meat of the fish is very white.
A very tasteful dish is Espada with Banana, a combination of tender fish with tropical flavours.

Pudim de maracujá (Passion Fruit pudding) 

The experts and best chefs are said the best passion fruits can be found in Madeira Islands and the regional typical dessert makes it the most exquisite passion fruit pudding in the world.

Azores

Ponta Delgada

The geographical dispersion of these islands is probably the main reason for the large variety of dishes found in the traditional Azorean cuisine. It characterised by an assorted menu of succulent recipes to satisfy even the most demanding palates.
The large pisciculture richness of the Azores’ ocean in addition to the production of quality meat, cheese and derivatives, and other horticultural products, allows for the use of a great variety of ingredients in the Azorean cuisine.

- The popular “Sopas do Espírito Santo” (Holy Spirit Soups), the “Caldeiradas de peixe” (Fish stews), the “Massa Sovada” (Sweet Loaf), and the delicious “Malassadas” a type of sugar donut;

- In São Miguel, the “Caldo Azedo” (Sour broth), the “Couves Solteiras” (Single Kale), the “Torresmos de molho de fígado” (Liver sauce spareribs), the “Fervedouros” (Kale and potato soup), “Polvo Guisado em vinho de cheiro” (Stewed Octopus in red wine), “Linguiça ou Chouriço com inhame” (Type of sausage with yams), the “Arroz de Lapas” (Limpet Rice), “Lapas de molho Afonso” (Limpets with Afonso sauce) and especially the “Cozido nas Caldeiras das Furnas” the meal cooked in the Hot Springs in Furnas.

“Caldo Azedo” (Sour broth)

- The “Caldo de nabos” (Turnip broth), the “Bolo na panela” type of polenta made with cornmeal, the “Caçoila” (Pork stew), and the “Molhos de porco” (Pork Sauce), are all very typical of the cuisine in Sta. Maria;

Caçoila Sandwich 

- The famous “Alcatra” a meat dish cooked in a clay pot in a wood stove, the “Caldeirada de peixe com maçãs” (Fish stew with apples), the “morcela” (blood sausage), the “sarapatel” a type of pork sauce, the “Polvo” (octopus stewed or bakes) and the “Coelho de molho vilão” (Rabbit with onion vinegar sauce), all from Terceira;

The famous “Alcatra”

- The fish used in various stews and oven baked dishes honouring the Graciosa cuisine;

- The tasty “Caldos de Peixe” (Fish broth), the “Linguiça com inhame” (Sausage with yams), the “Torresmos de porco” (spareribs), and the “Molha de carne” a meat dish from the Mountain island of Pico;

- Faial’s cuisine includes the “Torresmos de vinha-de-alhos” (Spareribs in a garlic wine and pepper sauce), the “Carne de molha” meat dish, and the “Filetes de molho ferrado”, (the Fish filets in heavy sauce) and other appetising dishes;

Torresmos de vinha-de-alhos

- The “Sopa de agrião” (Watercress soup), the “Cozido de porco” (Pork dish), “Molhos de dobrada” (Intestine delicacy sauce), “Feijão com cabeça de porco” (Beans with pig’s head), “Bolo no Tijolo” (Flatbread), “Caldeirada de Congro” (Conger eel bouillabaisse), “Bonito assado no forno” (Baked Bonito), and the “Pastéis de ervas marinhas” (Seaweed fried turnovers), from Flores.
The “vinho de cheiro” or the “Morangueiro” is a wine produced in most of the islands. The famous “Verdelho” from Picowas a part of the Czars’ dinners and many other wines produced in Graciosa, Terceira (Biscoitos), Santa Maria (São Lourenço) and S.Miguel (Caloura), are all good suggestions to accompany any of the typical dishes.
Lobsters, “Cavacos” similar to the lobster, “lapas” (limpets), fresh of grilled, Crabs and the interesting “Cracas” (Barnacles), are much appreciated shellfish consumed in the region.
In the area of pastries the Azores also offer a substantial variety of regional sweets:

Caldeirada de Congro

- In São Miguel “Queijadas da Vila” (Vila Franca cupcakes), “Confeitos da Ribeira Grande” (Ribeira Grande candy), “Bolos Lêvedos das Furnas” (Leavened Sweetbread from Furnas), “Bichos de amêndoa” and “Barriga-de-Freira” (Nun’s tummy egg sweets)

Barriga-de-Freira

- In Santa Maria the “Suspiros” (Meringue), “Melindre”, “Biscoitos-de-orelha” biscuits, “Cavacos” and eclair with hardened sugar, “Encanelados”, “Brindeirinhos, Biscoitos de aguardente” (Brandy biscuits), “Tigeladas” (Custards), “Biscoitos estalados” and “Bolinhos de consoada” (Cupcakes);

- In Terceira “Confeitos, Coscorões, Donas-amélias, Alfinim” different types of comfits;

- In Graciosa “Pasteis de Arroz” (Rice cupcakes), “Capuchos, Escomilhas, Encharcados d’ovos” all comfits, and the “Queijadas” (Cupcakes);

- In São Jorge “Doce Branco” (White dessert), the “Esquecidos, Espécies, Rosquilhas de aguardente”, “Bolo de véspera” (Night before cake), and “Bolos de Coalhada” (Cake),

In Pico “Arroz doce” (Rice pudding), and “Vésperas” and the decorated Eclairs from Faial;

- All are delicious regional sweets which can also be accompanied by the delicious Tea “Chá Gorreana” grown and packaged in São Miguel.

- The islands offer a vast variety of both cured and fresh cheese for the connoisseurs. Worthy of a special mention is the “Queijo da Ilha” from São Jorge. The sweet and fragrant “Ananás” pineapple, grown in greenhouses in São Miguel is equally a refreshing dessert.

'São Jorge' PDO Cheese 7 month old

The São Jorge PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheeses are created in the magnificent countryside that surrounds us.
Matured semi-hard to hard cheese, yellowish in colour, with small irregular holes, a firm consistency, and a cylindrical shape with rounded edges.
It is a product with a strong flavour and taste. It has a clean and slightly peppery bouquet. It is produced from cow’s milk, salt and rennet, and is matured for at least 7 months.