Açorda is a traditional
Portuguese dish composed of cubed or sliced stale bread with garlic,
coriander
Coriander (), whose leaves are known as cilantro () in the U.S. and parts of Canada, and dhania in parts of South Asia and Africa, is an annual plant, annual herb (''Coriandrum sativum'') in the family Apiaceae.
Most people perceive the ...
, and
poached eggs. It is a type of
bread soup
Bread soup is a simple soup that mainly consists of bread, usually staling, stale bread. Variations exist in many countries, and it is often eaten during Lent. Both brown bread, brown and white bread may be used.
The basis for bread soup is tra ...
, although some variants have a consistency closer to that of a porridge.
The version served in
Alentejo
Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" ().
Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...
, açorda à Alentejana, is a classic of the region's cuisine.
History
Source:
One of the first designations of the term ''açorda'' is found in 16th-century playwright
Gil Vicente's ''Farsa dos Almocreves'': “''Tendes uma voz tão gorda/ que parece alifante/ depois de farto de açorda''”. (Roughly: You have such a big voice/ that it sounds like an elephant/ after too much bread soup.)
The dish's origins are as a
poverty food, intended to prevent waste by using leftover bread, that evolved into a classic of Portuguese and particularly Alentejan cuisine.
Ingredients and variants
The dish is traditionally made with
pao Alentejano.
Throughout Portugal there are multiple variants of garlic and cilantro bread soup; the most notable originated in
Alentejo
Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" ().
Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...
, where an açorda, also called açorda Alentejana or açorda à alentejana, has the consistency of a soup and is widely served in homes and restaurants throughout the region.
According to ''Travel Magazine'', it is "arguably Alentejo's signature dish". According to ''Publico'' it is an icon of Alentejan cuisine. Açorda à Alentejana was one of the finalist candidates for the .
In other regions of Portugal the bread may be boiled in the broth and the dish may have a consistency similar to that of a porridge.
Other variations may include sausage, shrimp or
codfish;
the codfish version is called ''açorda de bacalhau.''
The version with shrimp is called ''açorda de marisco'' and is particularly popular in Lisbon.
A version is known in
Maccanese cuisine.
Preparation
The dish is typically assembled from prepared ingredients rather than cooked, although some versions call for cooking the bread, cilantro, and garlic in the broth.
In a typical preparation the eggs are poached in salted water or stock. Garlic, coriander and salt are mashed into a coarse paste with olive oil and vinegar, and the mixture is poured over the bread. The eggs are placed on the bread and the poaching liquid is poured over. The açorda is typically left to
steep for a few minutes to soften the bread.
Some recipes call for coating the bread in the garlic-coriander paste, then folding it into the eggs in their poaching liquid.
The final dish usually has a bright green color.
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Acorda
Portuguese cuisine
Bread soups