Torricado is a culinary specialty from the
Ribatejo region of
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, consisting of pieces of
bread
Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
toasted over
charcoal
Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...
, soaked in
olive oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...
and brushed with
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...
and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
.
It is served mainly as a side dish to grilled
salt cod
Dried and salted cod, sometimes referred to as salt cod or saltfish or salt dolly, is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. Cod which has been dried without the addition of salt is stockfish. Salt cod was long a major export o ...
, but also to
sardines and
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
.
The dish is common both to the
Tagus
The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see #Name, below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections ...
riverside plains and the hill rugged area of the vineyards, mainly in the area of
Almeirim,
Azambuja
Azambuja () is a municipality in the Portuguese district of Lisbon, in the historical region of Ribatejo (and the sole municipality of within the district that does not belong to the historical province of Estremadura). The population in 2011 was ...
,
Cartaxo and
Santarém municipalities.
Background
Torricado originates from the subsistence of rural workers, as an inexpensive and practical way of making lunch while at work in the fields. It is nowadays usually served in family reunions and friend gatherings, as well as in some local festivities.
Preparation
A large bread, usually aged by two days, is cut longitudinally in halves, the inner part sliced in several diamond shaped crumbs and placed over a charcoal fire to toast. The bread is later brushed with a garlic clove and olive oil and salt are added in the meantime, during the roasting process.
Garlic and olive oil are a common feature in the local cuisine, and salted cod is a traditional ingredient in the
Portuguese diet.
References
{{Reflist
External links
* http://viagempelasorigens.blogspot.com/2010/09/torricado.html
Portuguese cuisine