In my previous visits here, the focus was either on seafood, or local, restaurants. But Portuguese food is quite rich, varied, and distinct. Simple grilled fish is always a great option. Meat dishes tend to be slow cooked. And of course, Portuguese wine is a big deal here. Much like other countries on the Mediterranean, olive oil is also a big part of cooking and their culture. I distinctly remember the quality of the cheeses and bread on my previous visits. And no meal is without the famous custard tart, pastel de nata, and a cup of expresso. But salted cod is the national dish, even though most of from Norway these days. Bacalhau has its origin in the days before refrigeration, as a means of preserving fish. About 25,000 tons are imported yearly. And there are about a thousand recipes, the best of which calls for soaking the cod in water to remove the salt. it is baked or stars in a casserole, or shredded with scrambled eggs, onions, and fried potatoes. But here are twelve other must haves on your culinary journey:
olive oil and potatoesPorco preto (Iberian black pork) another favoriteArroz de pato (duck rice)Grilled sardines (Mikes favorite)Francesinha (Little Frenchie) a stack of cured, wet ham, linguica, steak or roast beef, and melted cheese, often with a fried egg, on thick bread, drowned in hot tomato and beer sauce, served with french fries.Arroz de marisco (seafood rice) one of my favoritesAcorda (bread soaked in broth) sounds awful but has lots of seafood addedQueijo (cheese) try to find a place with a great cheese cartPrego (steak sandwich) prego means nail, for the garlic cloves pounded into the steak before cookingLeitao assado (suckling pig) a spit roasted, whole hog affair, similar to the Hawaiian celebration luauCataplana de marisco (seafood stew) clams are treasured in this dish
I noticed the sausage is quite different here, not at all like the Portuguese sausage or linguia from Hawaii. Here, it is stuffed with chicken or game bird meat, with bread. It is most often served with a fried egg and fries. It can catch you by surprise, especially when eaten at the golf course. I was expecting a typical pork sausage, and got
Some meals are with Salame de Chocolate, a chocolate salami consisting of dark chocolate, nuts and broken up cookies. Perhaps a glass of port would go well with this?
I recall very little from my meals here, other than they were both tasty, and affordable. And with plenty of good wine and port.
