Dreaming of a Portugal walking holiday
During this difficult period of isolation, it can be hard to keep busy and come up with ideas to occupy yourself and those you are in isolation with. Some enjoy gardening and are making the most of this beautiful spring weather to de-weed and pot the plants. Some are (finally) getting around to doing the ‘big clean out’ that they have been meaning to do for a while and giving away clothes and other bits to charity organisations. It is important to stay positive during this bizarre period and make the most of the precious time that we have with our family, taking care of ourselves and others and trying to have some fun.
On this beautiful sunny morning I begin my day with breakfast in the garden. I then pick up my current choice of novel and whilst reading the pages I find I cannot concentrate because my mind keeps wandering back to the Vicentine coast in Portugal, the last family holiday that we went on. I can picture clearly the high rugged cliffs, the bright blue sky, the ocean stretching out to the horizon… It was a fantastic walking holiday in Portugal through spectacular landscapes, lunch in charming whitewashed villages, daily swims and strolling through the local markets...
I think it must have been the memory of the smells from the markets that makes my stomach start to grumble and brings me back to the present. But I had an idea, a great one to keep myself busy and make my family happy – I was going to prepare a Portuguese meal (with help from my mum!), a speciality from Porto that would take us all back to that wonderful family holiday on the Vicentine coast and help us dream of our next self-guided walking trip in Portugal, when the isolation period is over.
This is my mum’s recipe for “Francesinhas”. Give it a go at home, you won’t be disappointed!
For the sauce :
200g of meat (veal for example)
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
50g of tinned tomatoes (diced)
20cl of olive oil
50g of corn flour
Tabasco sauce
2 bay leaves
1 litre of larger
20cl of port wine
A pinch of salt
For the francesinhas:
8 slices of bread
4 slices of ham
4 ‘linguiça’ (smoked pork sausages flavoured with garlic and paprika)
4 sausages
8 slices of cheese (that melts well)
- Chop the onions into small pieces and put them in a saucepan. Add the oil, garlic, bay leaves and meat. Leave to simmer. Add the port wine and the tomatoes and mix well. Lastly, add the larger.
- Leave to simmer for 1 hour. Then blend everything (like soup). You can add the corn flour at this stage if the sauce is not very thick. (The sauce needs to be thick to cover the francesinhas).
- When the sauce is ready, prepare the francesinhas : 1 slice of bread, 1 slice of ham, 1 sausage, 1 linguiça and a second slice of bread on top. Repeat to prepare as many francesinhas as you would like. Cover the top slices of bread with cheese.
- Put the francesinhas in the oven to melt the cheese. When the cheese has melted, place the francesinhas in a shallow bowl and spoon the sauce mixture over the top. You can accompany this sandwich with some chips!
Bom apetite ! And take care of yourself and your loved ones and stay safe.
Emma, Trip Designer for Portugal and foodie!
