A seafood version of the Alentejo's bread soup. Day-old country bread, garlic, coriander and olive oil are pounded into a paste, then drenched in a boiling broth of shell-on prawns. Whole prawns laid on top. Eaten from a deep bowl, the bread having soaked up every drop of the sea.
A thick, garlicky, coriander-perfumed bread paste soaked through with intensely briny shellfish broth, crowned with sweet whole prawns. Eaten hot from a deep bowl, the bread having drunk up every drop of the sea.
The dish is built on day-old country bread soaked in hot shellfish broth. A thick paste is made by mashing garlic, salt and chopped coriander with olive oil, then stirring in coarse breadcrumbs or torn bread. A strong broth is made by 微沸 whole prawns or clams in their shells with water, garlic and coriander stems, strained, and poured boiling over the bread paste, which drinks it up and softens into a savory porridge. Whole prawns are peeled and laid on top. The bread must be dense country bread, not soft loaf bread, and the broth must be made from shell-on shellfish for flavor.
Variations
A plain a uses only bread, garlic, coriander and a poached egg. Cod (bacalhau) replaces the shellfish in some versions.
On the Palate
Where Açorda de Marisco sits in the Portuguese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
5 steps · 20 min
- 15 min
Make the bread paste: mash 4 garlic cloves with a pinch of salt and a large handful of chopped coriander, then work in 100ml olive oil and 250g torn day-old country bread.
- 26 min
Bring 1 litre water to a boil with the shells and heads of 400g raw prawns, 2 garlic cloves and coriander stems; simmer 15 minutes, then strain.
Watch outSimmer the prawn shells and heads to build a strong broth — the shell-on stock is where all the flavor is; skip it and the açorda tastes of wet bread.
- 34 min
Return the broth to the boil, drop in the prawn bodies, and cook 2 minutes until just pink; lift them out and set aside.
- 44 min
Pour the boiling broth over the bread paste, stirring until it softens into a thick porridge.
Watch outPour the broth boiling-hot over the bread paste and stir until it drinks it up into a thick porridge — lukewarm broth leaves it soupy and heavy.
- 54 min
Ladle into deep bowls, top each with the whole prawns, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and more coriander.
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