World Flavors Cookbook

Portugal Recipes

Portuguese cuisine is a seafaring tradition defined by fresh seafood, particularly salt cod (bacalhau), and rich, custard-filled pastries. It is soulful, rustic, and heavily influenced by the country's colonial history and spice trade.

Recipes from Portugal

• Bacalhau à Brás

  Portugal's most famous bacalhau dish—a creamy scramble of shredded salt cod, golden julienned potatoes, and onions, garnished with black olives.

• Pastéis de Nata

  Iconic Portuguese custard tarts with a flaky, crisp pastry crust and a creamy, caramelized custard center.

• Bifana (Pork Sandwich)

  The ultimate Portuguese street food: thin slices of pork marinated in garlic and wine, served in a crusty bread roll.

• Caldo Verde

  A comforting "green soup" made with thinly sliced kale, potatoes, and slices of spicy chorizo.

• Francesinha

  Porto's legendary sandwich: layers of meats, covered in melted cheese and a secret spicy beer-and-tomato sauce.

• Arroz de Pato (Duck Rice)

  Fragrant oven-baked rice cooked in duck broth, layered with shredded duck and topped with crispy chorizo.

• Cataplana de Marisco

  A luxurious seafood medley steamed in a traditional copper clam-shaped vessel from the Algarve region.

• Frango Assado com Piri-Piri

  Portuguese-style spatchcocked chicken, grilled until crispy and brushed with a spicy piri-piri chili oil.

• Sardinhas Assadas

  Whole Atlantic sardines grilled over charcoal with coarse salt, the symbol of Portuguese summer.

• Cozido à Portuguesa

  A monumental boiled stew featuring a variety of meats, traditional sausages, and winter vegetables.

• Polvo à Lagareiro

  Tender octopus roasted with whole "punched" potatoes in a sea of premium extra virgin olive oil.

• Bacalhau com Natas

  A rich, creamy gratin of shredded salt cod, potatoes, and béchamel sauce, topped with melted cheese.

• Prego no Pão

  A classic garlic steak sandwich, traditionally eaten as a "dessert" after a seafood feast.

• Pastéis de Bacalhau

  Crispy cod fritters made with shredded salt cod and mashed potatoes, seasoned with parsley and onion.

• Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato

  Clams in a simple but perfect sauce of garlic, olive oil, white wine, and fresh cilantro.

• Queijadas de Sintra

  Small, firm cheese tarts from the fairytale town of Sintra, flavored with cinnamon.

• Tosta Mista

  The definitive Portuguese cafe snack: a pressed ham and cheese sandwich on thick bread, brushed with butter.

• Arroz de Marisco

  A loose, saucy seafood rice (not a dry paella) brimming with crab, shrimp, and monkfish.

• Leitão da Bairrada

  Whole suckling pig roasted on a spit until the skin is paper-thin and shattering-crisp.

• Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá

  A refined Porto dish of flaked cod, boiled potatoes, and onions, garnished with eggs and olives.

• Ovos Moles de Aveiro

  The ultimate conventual sweet: egg yolks and sugar cream inside delicate wafer shells shaped like sea creatures.

• Caldeirada de Pescpe

  A rustic fisherman's stew made with multiple types of Atlantic fish and potatoes.

• Molho Piri-Piri

  The essential Portuguese hot sauce—spicy, garlicky, and bright with lemon.

• Arroz Doce

  Creamy Portuguese rice pudding, decorated with intricate cinnamon lattice patterns.

• Queijadas de Évora

  Rich sheep-cheese tarts from the Alentejo capital, Évora.

• Chouriço Assado

  Traditional smoked sausage grilled at the table in a flaming earthenware dish called a canoa.

• Migas Alentejanas

  Savory Alentejo "crumbs" made with pork fat and day-old bread, served with fried pork meat.

• Pipis (Chicken Giblets)

  Chicken gizzards, hearts, and livers stewed in a spicy tomato and garlic sauce.

• Canja de Galinha

  A light chicken soup with rice and mint, the ultimate "cure-all" in Portuguese homes.

• Bolo de Bolacha

  A no-bake coffee cake made with layers of Maria biscuits soaked in coffee and coffee-buttercream.

• Sopas de Cavalo Cansado

  An ancient, rustic dessert of bread soaked in wine, honey, and cinnamon.

• Queijo da Serra Platter

  Portugal's most prestigious cheese—soft, gooey sheep cheese served with pumpkin jam (doce de abóbora).

• Doce de Ovos

  The foundational egg-and-sugar cream used in almost all Portuguese pastries.

• Broa de Milho (Cornbread)

  Dense, dark cornbread with a thick, crackled crust and a moist center.

• Ginjinha

  Famous sour cherry liqueur served in small glasses, often with a cherry at the bottom.

• Arroz de Tamboril (Monkfish Rice)

  A saucy, flavorful rice dish made with tender chunks of monkfish, bell peppers, and fresh cilantro.

• Açorda de Marisco

  A traditional Portuguese bread stew infused with garlic, cilantro, and mixed seafood, finished with a raw egg.

• Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo

  Baked salt cod layers with onions, covered in a rich mantle of mashed potatoes and mayonnaise.

• Carne de Porco à Alentejana

  A unique and beloved dish combining marinated pork with fresh clams, cilantro, and fried potatoes.

• Ensopado de Borrego

  A hearty Alentejo lamb stew served over slices of country bread to soak up the fragrant sauce.

• Espetada Madeirense

  Traditional beef skewers from Madeira, seasoned with garlic and salt, traditionally grilled on laurel wood branches.

• Feijoada à Transmontana

  The original bean stew from the Trás-os-Montes region, featuring red beans and various pork cuts.

• Iscas com Elas

  Pan-fried calf liver marinated in wine and garlic, served with sautéed "elas" (potatoes).

• Lapas Grelhadas

  Grilled limpets served in their shells with a generous amount of garlic butter and lemon juice.

• Moelas Estufadas

  Tender chicken gizzards stewed in a spicy tomato and beer sauce—a classic tavern snack.

• Pataniscas de Bacalhau

  Flat, crispy cod fritters made with shredded salt cod, eggs, and flour, often served with bean rice.

• Peixe Espada com Banana

  A famous Madeira specialty: black scabbard fish fillets served with fried bananas and passion fruit sauce.

• Pica-Pau

  Small strips of beef sautéed with garlic and served with pickles in a savory beer-based sauce.

• Rojões à Moda do Minho

  Marinated pork cubes fried in lard and served with "sarrabulho" (blood) and fried tripe.

• Sopa de Pedra

  The famous "Stone Soup" from Almeirim, a rich vegetable and meat soup with a legendary origin story.

• Tripas à Moda do Porto

  The historic tripe and white bean stew that gives Porto residents their nickname, "Tripeiros."

• Alheira de Mirandela

  A unique poultry and bread sausage, originally created by Jews to avoid detection during the Inquisition.

• Bolo do Caco

  Madeira island flatbread made with sweet potato, traditionally cooked on a hot stone (caco).

• Folar de Chaves

  A savory Easter bread from the north of Portugal, stuffed with ham, sausages, and bacon.

• Sericaia

  A soft, cinnamon-dusted Alentejo egg pudding, traditionally served with Elvas plums.

• Toucinho do Céu

  A rich almond and egg yolk cake, whose name ("Bacon from Heaven") refers to the lard used in the traditional recipe.

• Serradura (Sawdust Pudding)

  A simple, layered dessert of sweetened whipped cream and crushed Maria biscuits.

• Baba de Camelo

  A quick, two-ingredient condensed milk mousse with a caramel flavor and airy texture.

• Travesseiros de Sintra

  Puff pastry "pillows" filled with a sweet almond and egg cream, a specialty of the town of Sintra.

• Dom Rodrigo

  An intricate Algarve sweet made of "fios de ovos" (egg threads) and almond paste, wrapped in colorful foil.

• Arroz de Feijão (Bean Rice)

  A moist, savory rice cooked with red or kidney beans, seasoned with onion, garlic, and tomato.

• Arroz de Tomate (Tomato Rice)

  A classic Portuguese side dish—loose, saucy rice with a rich tomato flavor, perfect with fried fish.

• Batatas a Murro (Punched Potatoes)

  Small whole potatoes boiled or roasted, then "punched" to crack the skin and finished with olive oil and garlic.

• Salada de Polvo (Octopus Salad)

  A refreshing cold salad of tender octopus, onions, and bell peppers in a bright vinaigrette.

• Peixinhos da Horta (Green Bean Tempura)

  Lightly battered and fried green beans, the historical predecessor to Japanese tempura.

• Favas à Portuguesa

  Broad beans stewed with assorted meats and aromatic herbs like mint and cilantro.

• Rancho à Portuguesa

  A robust northern stew combining chickpeas, pasta, potatoes, and various meats.

• Sopa de Peixe (Fish Soup)

  A rich, blended tomato-based fish soup, often finished with small pieces of white fish and toasted bread.

• Bolo de Mel da Madeira

  A dense, dark, spiced honey cake from Madeira, traditionally broken by hand, never cut with a knife.

• Tigelada

  A traditional baked custard from the Ribatejo region, baked in a specialized shallow clay dish.

• Brisa do Lis

  Leiria signature sweet—intense egg and almond small cakes with a smooth, bright yellow appearance.

• Queijadas de Vila Franca

  Delicate cheese tarts from the Azores island of São Miguel, famous for their thin crust and sweet center.

• Cavacas

  Large, light, airy cookies covered in a hard white sugar glaze, typical of Caldas da Rainha.

• Broas de Mel (Honey Cookies)

  Small, spiced honey and walnut cookies, often eaten around Christmas or during family gatherings.

• Suspiros (Meringues)

  Simple egg white and sugar meringues, light as air and a common sight in any Portuguese pastelaria.

• Arroz de Grelos (Turnip Tops Rice)

  A rustic northern side dish of rice cooked with slightly bitter turnip tops and garlic.

• Salada de Grão com Bacalhau

  A healthy and satisfying salad of chickpeas, flaked salt cod, boiled eggs, and raw onion.

• Chouriço à Bombeiro

  Another name for Chouriço Assado, where the sausage is "extinguished" after being grilled in flames.

• Omelete de Espargos Silvestres

  A spring specialty—an omelet made with tender wild asparagus gathered from the countryside.

• Peixe Grelhado com Molho Espanhol

  Grilled whole fish served with a traditional "Spanish" sauce of olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and paprika.

• Arroz de Cabidela

  A historic and controversial dish—chicken or rabbit rice cooked with the animal's blood and vinegar.

• Chanfana

  Old goat or lamb slow-cooked in a black clay pot with red wine and spices for several hours.

• Caldo de Peixe (Azores Fish Broth)

  A simple but aromatic fish broth from the Azores, often served over bread with a side of whole boiled fish.

• Pão de Rala

  A highly decorative Alentejo sweet made of almond paste, filled with egg threads and squash jam.

• Leite Creme (Portuguese Custard)

  A smooth, creamy milk-based custard topped with a burnt sugar crust, similar to crème brûlée.

• Caldo Verde

  Portugal's national soup — a silky potato broth with finely shredded kale (couve galega) and smoky chouriço sausage.

• Cozido à Portuguesa

  Portugal's magnificent boiled dinner — an enormous platter of meats (beef, pork, chicken, sausages), vegetables, and rice all simmered together.

• Caldeirada de Peixe

  Portugal's magnificent layered fish stew — assorted seafood and potatoes stacked in a pot with tomatoes, peppers, and wine, then slow-baked.

• Bacalhau à Brás

  A shredded salt cod dish with thinly fried potatoes, onions, and scrambled eggs.

• Arroz Doce

  Portuguese rice pudding, uniquely rich and creamy, decorated with cinnamon patterns.

• Leite Creme

  The Portuguese version of Crème Brûlée, often flavored with lemon and cinnamon.

• Caldeirada de Peixe

  A traditional Portuguese fish stew made with a variety of fresh fish, potatoes, and peppers.

• Bacalhau à Brás

  Portugal's most beloved salt cod dish — shredded bacalhau mixed with matchstick-thin fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, and black olives. The ultimate expression of Portugal's 365-recipes-of-bacalhau tradition.