Spotlight on the food in Portugal’s countryside
Delicacies from the Dåo and Douro
I promised a review of some of the delicious food I tasted whilst in Portugal in February and March.
Starting with the Pastel de Nata; everywhere you go you can find these little gems, a must with a cup of coffee mid-morning – well, actually anytime. Watching them being made is fascinating too. Historically they were made by nuns and sold though little windows in the convent walls. These days many bakeries have the kitchen on show so you can see how they make these little custardy, flaky pastry mouthfuls of yumminess.
There are lots of other fabulous bakery goods too- with egg and cream, sugar and almond being the major ingredients.
In Porto itself, we were treated to various showcase meals from a number of top chefs…all very picturesque! And delicious of course. From fish stew to Crème Brulé, both made in pots over log fires, to prawn gazpacho, tomato served 3 ways in a beetroot pastry tart, and egg, also served 3 ways, spicy pumpkin soups with little tweel biscuits, and apple cinnamon pastry towers with custard. It was all wonderful. Accompanied by the haunting music of Fado or by wandering opera singers, not to mention the wine selection, our meals were always a voyage of discovery.
One speciality that I was encouraged to try was the francesinha, considered Portugal’s most iconic sandwich. Made with layers of toasted bread, assorted hot meats such as bacon and steak, and melted cheese, and covered in a beer-based piquant sauce, with an egg on top; “filling” is about the most positive I can be about this. On the other hand, the black pudding sausages served in an appley sauce, and the cod pataniscas (fitters) were simple and scrumptious, very often served along with shrimp croquettes, and little bit sized pieces of garlicky squid or octopus as tasty snacks to accompany our new favourite cocktail – port tonic.
One big surprise was the lack of fresh fish in the centre of Porto, especially given that you can virtually see the Atlantic Ocean from the city. Apart from lots of octopus, which was described rather unappetizingly as “alien on a plate” by one of my companions (those who know him can guess who!), most of the fish, we were reliably told, is frozen and comes from…NORWAY! Crazy. With determination, we set off to find the “fish spots” just outside Porto itself, in 2 lovely little fishing villages. The food there was amazing. We were served enough “seafood rice” to feed a family of 4 for about a week; the first, second and third helpings irresistible. One of the group tried seafood rice in 3 different places and all were very good. More liquid than with paella, and thus frankly, better!
The fresh mackerel and sea bass were grilled over coals at many of the restaurants that line the little cobbled streets of these villages – the smell so enticing. We had Crème Brulé here – this one cooked in the terracotta dish over the coals.
Our trip into the Dao countryside, skirting the edge of the Douro Valley, introduced us to the real Portuguese fare; a lot of meat and fresh veg. One evening we were served goat on baked rice. This was very like lamb, unsurprisingly, and was prepared for us following the chef’s grandmother’s recipe. Another lunchtime, we had roast veal with pan fried broccoli in garlic. I did not know broccoli could taste so good. Braised beef cooked in the region’s rich red wine with creamed corn was followed by Crème Brulé (again), this time with a soft meringue topping. Divine.
Along with a lot of salted cod, often served in a rich tomato sauce, octopus featured in meals served in the country areas too – not to everyone’s taste, but actually very soft in texture, not rubbery! Served with a side of a dish that was not very appetising in appearance, but tasted good: “migas” (which means crumbs). This is made from day old bread, soaked in water, olive oil and salt, with various combinations of garlic, bacon, pork, chouriço, pepper, paprika, eggs, pork, bay leaf, and other herbs. We had this twice, with the second version more visually appealing, and so good that we asked the chef for the recipe, and ate about 2 platefuls each!
I love Piquillo peppers and used to cook them often when I lived in Spain. The Portuguese ones were stuffed with minced boar and served as a great reminder to dig out my recipes and do these again.
With a lot pf theatre we were served an upside down creamy ice pudding with nutmeg (which was on the bottom) – one of our group having about 4 helpings as it reminded him of his grandmother’s.
The food realty was the star of the show on both trips (apart from the scenery, the medieval villages, the Port lodges, the wineries and the people!). Having a fish dish of river trout, followed by succulent lamb, a pudding and a cheese plate for lunch, followed a few hours later by dinner of beef or veal. Fabulous…
