Portuguese cuisine · The table

The Portuguese table

A Portuguese meal is one pot of bacalhau or a bowl of caldo verde — not both, and pastel de nata is coffee, not dessert on the fish.

Bacalhau à Brás is a weekday or Sunday lunch of shredded salt cod, potatoes, and eggs. Caldo verde is a soup night with broa. Pastéis de nata belong to a café counter or the end of another meal.

The inherited table has a tacho and olive oil. The newer table still puts bread down first.

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How it looks

The bacalhau table

Yellow from egg and potato, olives, a green salad, wine.

Bacalhau à Brás with olives, salad, and wine on a Portuguese table.

The inherited lunch is salt cod you soaked yesterday. À Brás is the friendly heap: matchstick potatoes, onion, egg, parsley, olives. Salad after or beside, not under.

Leave the soup for another night.

How it looks

The caldo verde night

Deep bowls, broa, a coin of chouriço in each.

Caldo verde with broa bread and chouriço.

The newer table can be only soup. Kale in a thread, potato body, olive oil at the end. Bread. That is enough.

Do not add a second main of bacalhau.

How it is served

The order of the room

Cod is a plate. Caldo verde is a bowl. Custard tarts wait for coffee.

Bacalhau wants a green salad, olives, and wine. Broa or papo-seco on the side. It is not served in a bowl of caldo verde.

Caldo verde is sliced kale in a potato-onion broth with a slice of chouriço. Broa to dunk. That is supper.

Pastel de nata is eaten standing at a pastelaria with an espresso, or after a meal that is not already a custard. Do not plate it beside the cod as a 'Portuguese combo.'

Bring it home