Portuguese Food
Most Portuguese food is ’simple fare’ based around local produce, with soups, fish, meat, bread, cheese, rice, potatoes, Olive oil and spices.
The National dish of Portugal is dried salted cod known as ‘Bacalhau. Bacalhau has been a favourite of Portugal, since the early 16th century, when fishing boats reached Newfoundland. The fish was ’salted and sun-dried’ to make the catch last on the long journey home. Historically, Bacalhau was the staple food in Portugal during the period of Lent, when meat was considered a ‘forbidden’ food.
Today, it is said in Portugal, that there are 365 different ways of preparing Bacalhau, one for each day of the year! A couple of dishes made with Bacalhau include :-
Bacalhau à Brás
The codfish is cooked with strips of onion, potato, and scrambled egg and then garnished with Portuguese black olives.
Bacalhau com Natas
This is ‘Bacalhau with Cream’ A ’seafood’ version of Potato gratin with Bacalhau and sometimes whole shrimps made with a cream and béchamel sauce.
Other fish dishes often seen on the Portuguese menu include Octopus ( Polvo ), Squid ( lulas ) Seafood Rice ( Arroz de Marisco ) Fish Stew ( Caldeirade ) and Grilled Sardines ( Sardinhas Assadas )
Popular with the Portuguese is a thick vegetable soup called ‘Caldo Verde’ or ‘Green Soup’ which consists of potato, shredded cabbage, and chunks of ‘Chouriço’ sausage.
Another traditional dish seen in local restaurantes is ‘Cozido à Portuguesa’ This is a rich stew made with beef, pork, cabbage, carrots, turnips, Black Pudding (Morcela), Chouriço sausage, rice, potatoes and chickpeas. Ingredients often vary from Restaurant to Restaurant dependent on budget!
Most other meat dishes are generally served with Rice and Chips, sometimes boiled potatoes but rarely vegetables! Also, beware as meat is often served with a Piri Piri ( chilli ) sauce! You can always ask for a Salada Mista ( a mixed salad ) if you prefer. Popular meat choices are Pork Steak ( Bife de Porco ) Beef Steak ( Bife de Vaca ) and Barbequed ( churrasco ) Chicken ( frango )
Other favourites are Roast suckling Pig ( leitao assasdo ) and ( Porco à Alentejana ) the latter which originated from the Aletejo Region. It is a combination of marinated Pork, potatoes, coriander and clams.
Olive oil and garlic are widely used both in cooking and flavouring of Portuguese food, along with herbs such as coriander and parsley and spices such as chilli and black pepper.
Cheese is not often used in cooking but is often served at the start of a meal with bread and olives.
Out of the big cities it’s hard to find a restaurant with a vegetarian option in the menu, but most restaurants are now starting to include vegetarian dishes especially some of the ‘newer’ resaturants that are opening. Casa Rosden can recommend Restaurants with vegetarian menu choices in Tomar
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