Two-and-a-half weeks of eye-candy and belly-delight traveling northward in Portugal, from Lisbon up to Porto. Some solo time, plus lots of group time with fellow travelers from the University of Washington. I ate well both with and without the group. So much to sample and discover.
LOTS of seafood, happily. Plus sausages of chorizo and “bread” and who knows what other ingredients. Mmm. I ate chicken gizzard stew (delicious!). Dined at both little holes-in-the-wall and Michelin-starred kitchens.
Eat a Barnacle
Ever curious, I always seek out the most unusual thing on the menu. Gotta have it. Gooseneck barnacles? They became a quest when in Porto, and I found them. (But how do you EAT them? Twist the leathery exterior and, if you’re lucky, the tender interior will be revealed. Squirt some fresh lemon on the succulent center and down the hatch.)
Not many deserts shown. I simply don’t like sugar. Sorry. (Not sorry.) I did try the Pastel di Nata egg custard, but once was enough for me. I prefer salt and fat.
I’ve now had enough Bacalhau to last me for a few years. It’s dry, salted cod that is reconstituted and served in at least a hundred different ways. (We ate 99 of them. Basta!)
Fish Biting its Own Tail
How about the plate on which the Marmota fish was biting its own tail? (European Hake) THAT was fantastic, delicate and perfectly cooked and tender.
And yes, we ate octopus in different preparations, even paper thin carpaccio. And yes, I have many friends that won’t eat octopus “because they’re so smart”. (But, do they eat cows and other feeling critters? Don’t get me started.)
I’m impressed by the resourcefulness of the Portuguese, how they draw from both land and sea to fill their bellies. (Who would think of harvesting barnacles off of storm-battered sea shore boulders?) And the bacalhau let them preserve and send fish off with the mariners on their long journeys.
I ate both simple, family-style preparations, and “fancy”, elevated plates of classic recipes. Yeah, most of it was delicious. Some I didn’t prefer. But I loved eating in Portugal, and will gladly do it again.
