Açorda de Gambas
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
1 lb
large boiled shrimp, 4 cups of cooking water reserved
Salt
Ice, chile pepper, and lemon juice
4
garlic cloves, minced
1 sm
onion, minced
1
bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
½ lb
stale bread, thinly sliced
4
eggs
½ c
Portuguese olive oil
Açorda de Gambas
When I called Filipe Cordeiro, cofounder of Cooking Lisbon, to ask about açordas, he seemed surprised that I was interested in a dish so basic. “We have many kind of açordas,” he said. “The main idea behind it is to preserve bread.” In this recipe, the simplicity of açorda is really on display. A handful of ingredients and a handful of steps yield a pudding-like soup that is straightforward but delicious.
4 servings
- Shell shrimp and reserve in a mix of ice with salt, chile pepper, and lemon juice. Crush shrimp heads and boil in 2 cups of the water.
- Sauté garlic and onion in the olive oil until onion is tender. Add cilantro and 2 cups of the cooking water and bring to a boil.
- Strain water from cooking the shrimp heads and pour while still boiling over the bread. Let it absorb the water and then add to sautéed onions.
- Add shrimp, mix, and season to taste. Transfer to earthenware pot. Open eggs over bread pudding and mix well until the eggs have cooked into a custardy consistency.
Dayna Evans
Dayna Evans is a writer in New York. You can find more of her writing at daynaevans.com.