Local cuisine delights and Portuguese beverages on the CP

[DankeL]

Taking a cue from a recent thread posted on the Camino Frances forum about beverages which generated many good recommendations of beverages and local foods in Spain (Basque, Galicia), I would love to hear your recommendations for CP. We are departing from Porto to Santiago (coastal route before swinging inland after Caminha). But feel free to share your recommendations from Lisbon as I am sure that are others who start from Lisbon.

 

[Camembert]

Bacalhau .-codfish in 365 variations-every day another dish.
Arroz de camerão rice with shrimps. Arroz marisco. Rice with clamfish, mussles etc.
Francesinha , a local northern dish-cholesterolbomb !!!
Vinho verde ,young white wine from the northern region.
Portwine from Porto.
Aguardente , stronger alcoholic stuff. Too much makes you walking on your hands in stead of your feet.
Pasteís de nata-famous Portuguese custardtarts.

 

[pelerine]

Bacalhau and PULPO.

 

[Mark McCarthy]

Bacalhau a braz. Cod fish and french fries all mixed into an omelette with flat leaf parsley on top. My favourite dish of all time!

 

[Anniesantiago]

I have a couple of funny bacalau stories. First of all, I'm Portuguese, and grew up eating it.
But last time I went to Portugal I decided to have bacalau every day. So we took a side trip to Sintra, and in a bar there, they were advertising a bacalau dish with RICE I had never had before. I was used to eating it with potatoes. So I ordered it. I remember wondering where they were cooking it because it was a very tiny bar. But by golly, the guy brought me out a wonderful bacalau dish with rice, and it was mighty good!

Then we went to spend 2 weeks on the coast at Nazaré, where we rented an apartment with a kitchen. I went grocery shopping at the little market there, and took a look at the frozen section, and there sat my wonderful bacalau with rice dish in the frozen section - ready for the microwave! Hahaha! I bought it. It was the exact same dish and was pretty darned good.

Then while walking the Camino, I often look for bacalau at the open markets because it needs no refrigeration and can be carried in my pack until I need it. Once, I tried to buy some from a fellow, and he refused for a long time, telling me I was American and had NO idea how to cook it! Luckily, my broken pidgin Spanish was good enough to let him know I grew up cooking it and would be fine. But dang, that guy was persistent! Every time I've cooked it in an albergue, I've had a flood of hungry pilgrims streaming into the kitchen, sniffing... it's a great easy Camino dish!

 

[surya8]

in Portugal: salty yellow lupin beans, sold in cans in brine or in huge jars in the markets. Small round breads from bakeries, wholemeal I think, crunchy and nutritious. Soft goats cheese in small round plastic containers in shops, reminds me of mozarella but softer. Beans in many dishes, especially chickpeas, but no pepper or other spices to spice it up. You can find orange peel covered in chocolate in some upscale coffee shops and bakeries. If you are a tea drinker take some with you for the road. The regular black or green tea you can find in shops, in teabags, but Portugal is primarily a coffee drinking nation, and the quallity if coffee is excellent there. My fav is Delta brand with carob, ground - now buy a 250g pack and we make our own coffee on the road. So many small pastries based on egg yolks, mostly yellow and very sweet, Pasted de Nata is just on of them, the most famous. And try cherimoya or anona as the locals call it - the green round sweet fruit from South America. The best find of the last year for me there! Too many seeds inside but sooooo good!

 

[DankeL]

Then while walking the Camino, I often look for bacalau at the open markets because it needs no refrigeration and can be carried in my pack until I need it. Once, I tried to buy some from a fellow, and he refused for a long time, telling me I was American and had NO idea how to cook it! Luckily, my broken pidgin Spanish was good enough to let him know I grew up cooking it and would be fine. But dang, that guy was persistent! Every time I've cooked it in an albergue, I've had a flood of hungry pilgrims streaming into the kitchen, sniffing... it's a great easy Camino dish!

@Anniesantiago, what do you think of this Youtube video's cooking approach to bacalau?

 

[DankeL]

in Portugal: salty yellow lupin beans, sold in cans in brine or in huge jars in the markets. Small round breads from bakeries, wholemeal I think, crunchy and nutritious. Soft goats cheese in small round plastic containers in shops, reminds me of mozarella but softer. Beans in many dishes, especially chickpeas, but no peper or other spices to spice it up. You can find orange peel covered in chocolate in some coffee shops and bakeries. If you are a tea drinker take some with you on the road. The regular black or green tea you can find in shops, in teabag, but Portugal is primarily a coffee drinking nation, and the quallity if coffee is excellent there. My fav is Delta brand with carob. So many small pastries based on egg yolks, mostly yellow and very sweet, pasted de nata is just on of them, the most famous. And try cherimoya, the green round sweet fruit from South America. The best find of the last year for me there. Too many seeds inside but sooooo good!

@surya8 Thanks for the atypical recommendations. Now, it gives purpose to wandering around the farmers' market.

 

[surya8]

Have forgotten chesnuts, the sweet ones, the Portuguese taught me to eat them roasted, boiled or even raw And seafood as well, the most peculiar of them all are sea barnacles/percebes and razor clams. Haven't tried them yet but promissed to myself for the next Camino in Portugal. My fav markets on the way: Mercado da Ribeira/Time Out near Cais de Sodre in Lisbon and Bolhao market and some small shops in the adjoining streets in Porto. You can find almost anything there.

 

[Anniesantiago]

@Anniesantiago, what do you think of this Youtube video's cooking approach to bacalau?

Well there are a couple of things that I do not agree with her.

First of all if I were at home I would soak the bacalao in cold water in the refrigerator on the countertop and change it two or three times each time tasting the water until it wasn’t quite so salty and at the end tasting the fish itself.

Secondly she’s boiling the hell out of that fish and so it’s going to be like a rubber tire. When I cook the fish in the albergue and I don’t have overnight to mess with it I cover it with water and bring it to a boil. Then I pour the water out put cold water on and bring it to a boil. Then I can pour the water out bring it to a boil again. I do this to her three times but I don’t boil the fish it’s self because that will make it really rubbery. The fish should be white and flaky and tender.. you can see when she’s trying to break that piece with a fork it’s rubbery and not tender at all. Also at that point you’re going to be pulling out all the bones as well.

The only place I’ve seen people you sofrito is in Puerto Rico so I’m not sure what nationality this lady is or perhaps on the Portuguese island she comes from or on her part of the mainland they use sofrito - but nobody in my Azorian family ever used it. However the base that you make to cook the fish in is exactly that - a soFrito because you’re using garlic onions tomato and Bellpepper‘s which is basically what sofrito is.

As far as the recipe itself goes, as someone else mentioned there’s a saying that there’s 365 ways to cook bacalao.

She is right about using the potatoes to absorb some of the salt. In my family nobody ever uses rice with the bacalao. However when I’m on the Camino, it’s easier to make some rice to pour the fish over after I’ve cooked it.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Have forgotten chesnuts, the sweet ones, the Portuguese taught me to eat them roasted, boiled or even raw And seafood as well, the most peculiar of them all are sea barnacles/percebes and razor clams. Haven't tried them yet but promissed to myself for the next Camino in Portugal. My fav markets on the way: Mercado da Ribeira near Cais de Sodre in Lisbon and Bolhao market and some small shops in the adjoining streets in Porto. You can find almost anything there.

I don’t really like those roasted chestnuts. To me there flavorless but I suggest people try them. Also something not to miss along the river are the grill sardines. Nothing like the ones you buy in the can they are crunchy, salty, and wonderful! And then not to be missed are all of the port wineries in Porto. Lots of good tasting there

 

[edumad]

Portugal is so small, that most well known dishes spread out. Super local stuff may not exist outside 1 town.

I can't speak much about down south, except maybe ginginha (cherry liquer) popular predominantly in the center, north of Lisbon.

Here in the north (other places as well), but in towns with rivers, now is the season for Lamprey, an ugly slipery fish with that is absolutely delicious. Arroz de Lampreia (lamprey risotto) will tipically be done with the fishes own blood. It is a must! Should be able to find it in Vila do Conde, Esposende, Viana do Castelo and Caminha.

Rojões à moda do Minho
Minho is the northwestern corner of the Portugal that borders Galiza. Rojões à moda do Minho can be found in many places but the small towns like Ponte de Lima and Valença are some of the safest bets to find a good place for this.
Done properly the fried chunks of pork will be tender and super tasty with bits of fat still connected.
They should be accompanied by "redenho" (type of fat from pig intestines), tripe (actual intestines, filled with coarse corn flower), liver and clumps of sarrabulho (seasoned pig blood that has been boiled) or a sausage made from sarrabulho.
All of this is of course fried, and traditionally fried in (of course) lard.
Instead of having rice and fried potatoes you can sometimes get it with papas de sarrabulho or arroz de sarrabulho.
It is awesome and delicious and totally not healthy.

Maybe a bit much? Something more healthy like a salad?
Pig Ear's Salad
I think this one is widespread, but I've seen it more frequently in the north.
Boiled pigs ear, chopped onion, garlic and parsley (or coriander) seasoned will vinegar salt and pepper.
This is more of an entreé, a typical dish for snacking in a taberna of the old days.

I recommend "Os telhadinhos" in Ponte de Lima where you can find this and other bites to eat.

Clarinhas de Fão
A thin britle pastry filled with sweet cooked gila pumpkin, covered with powdered sugar.
Can be found in Fão and Esposende.

Hope others more familiar with local dishes will chime in.

cheers.

 

[Michael-FL]

One could view the Camino Portugues as a unique gastromic experience. Having lived in Portugal and walked the CP, here are my recommendations. Do not pass up:
- sardinhas grelhado - grilled fresh sardines - in season June-July - wonderful!
- Vinho Verde - light, refreshing, slightly efferescent white wine in summer
Lulas grelhado - grilled squid - to die for
Espada - scabbard fish grilled and plentiful.
Tamboril - monkfish. One of Portugal’s best
Caldo Verde - the national soup of Portugal. Gallicia has one similar: Caldo Gallego
Paõ de Alentejana - the crusty sourdough flavored bread of the Alentejo region. It’s only good for a day, but is divine when fresh.
Quejo fresco - the fresh soft goat cheese served everywhere in Portuguese restaurants
Porco Alentejo - Cubed pork and mussels - arguably the national dish of Portugal
Moscatel de Setubel - a delightful aperitif wine
Porto - whether tinto (red) or branco (white) or tawny; they’re all great. These are the true ports. Don’t let the American made swill spoil your impressions.

 

[David Tallan]

One could view the Camino Portugues as a unique gastromic experience. Having lived in Portugal and walked the CP, here are my recommendations. Do not pass up:
- sardinhas grelhado - grilled fresh sardines - in season June-July - wonderful!
- Vinho Verde - light, refreshing, slightly efferescent white wine in summer
Lulas grelhado - grilled squid - to die for
Espada - scabbard fish grilled and plentiful.
Tamboril - monkfish. One of Portugal’s best
Caldo Verde - the national soup of Portugal. Gallicia has one similar: Caldo Gallego
Paõ de Alentejana - the crusty sourdough flavored bread of the Alentejo region. It’s only good for a day, but is divine when fresh.
Quejo fresco - the fresh soft goat cheese served everywhere in Portuguese restaurants
Porco Alentejo - Cubed pork and mussels - arguably the national dish of Portugal
Moscatel de Setubel - a delightful aperitif wine
Porto - whether tinto (red) or branco (white) or tawny; they’re all great. These are the true ports. Don’t let the American made swill spoil your impressions.

While the recommendations for Portuguese fish and seafood cuisine are completely understandable and justified, if someone wants a break from that I have fond memories of the frango asado (barbequed chicken) from some places and one cannot really walk through Portugal without sampling the tartas de nata.

On the Spanish side of the border, the pulpo a feira (octopus) in Galicia is something that should be sampled and, since one is walking through Padron, it really makes sense to try the pimientos de Padron (Padron peppers).