Açorda alentejana

Ingredients

Paste

• 6garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 teaspooncoarse salt
• a very large bunch of fresh coriander

Soup

• 1.2 litresboiling water
• or light vegetable stock
• 6 tablespoonsgood olive oil

Bread

• 400 gstale country bread, in thick slices or torn

To finish

• 4eggs, for poaching
• extra olive oil
• salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Use a very large bunch, more than seems reasonable. It must be a dense country loaf. Put the garlic and coarse salt in a mortar. Pound them into a smooth paste.
2. Keep pounding until there are no pieces left. Use the stems, which carry more flavour than the leaves. Pound them into the garlic a handful at a time. Keep working until it becomes a rough green paste. This takes several minutes of steady work.
3. Add the olive oil gradually while pounding. Work it in until you have a loose green sauce. Poaching the eggs is done in the soup water.
4. Bring the water or stock to a bare simmer. Crack each egg into a cup first. Poach them for about three minutes. The whites should set and the yolks stay runny. Lift them out with a slotted spoon. Set them aside on a warm plate. Put the garlic and coriander paste in a large tureen.
5. Tear or slice the stale bread into it. Pour the hot poaching water over everything. Pour it in slowly and stir as you go. The paste dissolves into the hot water.
6. Let it stand for a couple of minutes. It should be a thick soup rather than a porridge. Add more hot water if it is too thick. Add more bread if it is too thin.
7. Taste it and season it well with salt and pepper. Add another drizzle of olive oil. Serving it is done immediately. Ladle it out into deep warm bowls. Set a poached egg on top of each one. Grind black pepper over the top. It must be eaten straight away.

Technique

• Acorda belongs to a family of Portuguese bread dishes that also includes migas and sopa alentejana.
• The Arabic root of the name reflects the long Moorish presence in southern Iberia.

Substitutions

• Any dense stale bread works, and the exact loaf matters less than its staleness.
• Flat-leaf parsley can be used by those who dislike coriander, though it is a different dish then.

Variations

• Some versions add salt cod flaked into the bowl.
• A seafood acorda made with prawns is common along the coast.
• Adding a little vinegar to the paste is done in some households.

History

Bread-and-garlic soup of Moorish descent, its name from Arabic ath-thurda, turning stale bread, coriander and olive oil into an Alentejo meal.

Frequently asked questions

What is Açorda alentejana?

Açorda alentejana is a soup & stew from Portugal: garlic-coriander bread soup topped with poached egg. Bread-and-garlic soup of Moorish descent, its name from Arabic ath-thurda, turning stale bread, coriander and olive oil into an Alentejo meal.

How long does Açorda alentejana take to make?

Açorda alentejana takes 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Açorda alentejana?

Yes, within limits. Any dense stale bread works, and the exact loaf matters less than its staleness. Flat-leaf parsley can be used by those who dislike coriander, though it is a different dish then.

What is the most important thing to get right in Açorda alentejana?

Use a very large bunch, more than seems reasonable. It must be a dense country loaf. Put the garlic and coarse salt in a mortar. Pound them into a smooth paste.