Culinary Travel: Portugal

It might only be a small country but Portugal manages to be both astonishingly beautiful and endlessly surprising. If, when you think of places to visit in Portugal, you imagine the sandy beaches of the Algarve or the idiosyncratic cities of Lisbon and Porto, then any journey into the real heart of Portugal promises to be a revelation. It’s not just the landscape that captivates, though there is a stunning variety of scenes, from the steep mountains and lush valleys of the center and north to the arid plains and cove-speckled coastline of the south. But there’s also great charm in a country that preserves its medieval villages, walled towns and glorious monuments while at the same time embracing progress and modernity with a style all its own.

These qualities are best displayed in the capital, Lisbon, which has acquired a contemporary, boutique sheen without quite jettisoning its most endearing, rather old-fashioned, characteristics. On the Algarve and elsewhere, family-friendly resorts – the mainstay of European tourists for more than fifty years – also combine a gentle sophistication with enduring traditions. And other main towns all have their thriving festivals, restored historical quarters, sparkling new cultural centres and wi-fi zones. But head into the deep rural areas,  the Alentejo, the mountainous Beiras or Trás-os-Montes, and a different, slower-paced Portugal emerges. Despite massive EU-funded road-building schemes, and a burgeoning interest in rural and ecotourism, central and northeastern Portugal particularly are still conspicuously underdeveloped. For anyone wanting to get off the beaten track, there are limitless opportunities here to experience small towns, hamlets and rural regions that still seem rooted in earlier centuries.

The country has a striking north-south divide that’s as much to do with history and politics as geography and climate. Above a roughly sketched line, more or less corresponding with the course of the Rio Tejo (River Tagus), the people are of predominantly Celtic and Germanic stock, living in a corn, cabbage and potatoes belt of often marginal land. It was here, in the north at Guimarães, that the Lusitanian nation was born (following the Christian Reconquest from the North African Moors), and here too that early industry was concentrated, with the city of Porto still considered an economic powerhouse. The Romans, and later the Moors, on the other hand, established themselves south of the Tagus, where vast agricultural estates could be developed, producing the classic Mediterranean crops of oranges, olives, figs and cork.

Salted Cod or bacalhau is probably the most traditional ingredient you can find in Portugal, especially during holiday seasons.

Baked Salted Cod with Cream (Bacalhau Com Natas)
Serves 6 
Preparation 10hr
Cooking 1hr 55min

Ingredients
400 g bacalhau (salted cod) (see Note), cut into rough pieces
4 large pontiac or desiree potatoes, unpeeled
125 ml (½ cup) olive oil
2 large onions
300 ml pouring cream

Instructions
You will need to soak the cod overnight.

Rinse salt from cod and place in a large bowl with enough water to cover. Stand overnight, changing water 3 times. Drain and pat dry with paper towel.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan with 3 tsp salt and enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 1 hour or until almost tender. Drain. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1 cm-thick slices.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Using your hands, break cod into 3 cm pieces. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over high heat and cook cod for 1 minute each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate.
Add 1 tbsp oil to same pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate. Heat remaining 60 ml oil in same pan. Cook potatoes, turning halfway, for 5 minutes or until golden.

Layer a greased 30 cm round baking dish with half the onions, then half the potatoes, then the salted cod. Top with remaining onions, then remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then pour over cream.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and potatoes are very tender.

Cooking Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.

Bacalhau is available from good delis. Ask your deli to cut it for you as it’s very hard or use wet-salted bacalhau which has no bones and is much softer, and cut into 4 cm pieces.

If you have a taste for culinary travel, let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you plan your next vacation and all of your other reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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