Gourmet entertaining: Top 5 popular dishes
Food is an integral part of a country. You can’t immerse yourself in the national characteristics of a nation without avoiding its cuisine. In this review, we detail the 5 dishes that are a must-try when travelling.
Calsotada
Calçotada is a sweet leek. The plant is grown up to 30 cm in height which gives it a thick, fleshy stem. The food is roasted on traditional roasting pots, which are melted with dried vines. The food is cooked over a very high heat, almost charred.
The calçotada is served with a special romesco sauce composed of tomato, walnut and red pepper. Tie a bib before the meal. With the right hand, the onion is taken by the arrow and the left hand quickly removes the burnt skin. The flesh is dipped into the sauce. Tilt the head back and the leeks are dropped into the mouth as a whole.
Franzinha Porto
The classic French Croque monsieur sandwich has undergone a radical transformation in Portugal. The multi-storey sandwich is made up of lots of cheese and meat (fried, boiled, smoked). The filling is placed between two thin slices of bread. The filling is filled with melted cheese and dipped in tomato-beer sauce. Sometimes a fried egg or a piece of sausage is placed on top.
Porto francesinha is a nutritional bomb for the terribly hungry. Beer and fries are served with the Portuguese sandwich. For the unprepared gourmet, we recommend ordering for two people, washed down with local port.
Bouillabaisse
This fish soup from Marseille was the soup of poor sailors 100 years ago. The dish was cooked from the day’s catch, which is why it includes several varieties of fish. Now bouillabaisse is a delicacy worth tasting.
The first to be cooked is a stock of spices (garlic, sage, spices), tomatoes and olive oil. Then the pieces of various seafood are gradually introduced. First boil the potpourri on high heat until it reaches boiling point, then slowly bring it to the boil. Serve with white bread.
Ban-mi
A trademark of Vietnamese cuisine. A ban-mi is a sandwich made with a French baguette. The baguette is cut on the long side and liver pate is spread on the inside. The filling is made of roast pork and vegetable salad (daikon, cucumbers, carrots).
Ban-mi is a dish which has harmoniously adapted French products to Vietnamese characteristics. It has a slight acidity characteristic of Asian cuisine. Anything up to chicken skin and herring milks are added to the sandwich made outside. In restaurants, it’s served with foie gras, pickled meat and vegetables.
Acaraje
In Brazil we recommend trying acaraje. It is made in the state of Bahia. A religious dish of Afro-Brazilian tradition which is an offering to the pagan goddess Jansa. It is prepared and served only by women.
Different toppings are added to a bun cut in half. The dough for the sandwich is made from cowpeas, which are soaked in water. The billets are fried in palm oil. Shrimp, tomato salad and seafood paste or pureed stewed okra are used as the filling. A chilli sauce is added for spiciness.
