Typical “Açorda” of Alentejo(Alentejo’s garlic bread soup)INGREDIENTS

For 4 persons

- A small bunch of coriander (or a small bunch of pennyroyal, or a mixture of both herbs);

- 2 cloves of garlic;

- 1 tablespoon of salt;

- 4 tablespoons of olive oil;

- half green pepper (if you kike it)

- 1.5 liters of boiling water;

- 400 g of homemade bread (hard);

- 4 eggs (or cooked fish, or seafood in the water that you will used to make the bread soup- AÇORDA)

If you prefer, you can use grilled sardines.

Alentejo’s garlic bread soup, (Açorda) is a complete meal!

HOW TO DO IT1- Put in a mortar, the peeled cloves of garlic, the salt and the herbs, reducing them to a paste.

2- Pour the sauce on a bowl ( we prefer crafts terrine), add the olive oil and the green pepper, cut into small pieces.

In water which is boiling, join the open eggs to cook slightly (and the fish if you want).

3- Remove the eggs (and the fish) after cooking, put the boiling water into the bowl.

4 –Taste the AÇORDA (maybe you need more salt).

5- Add the bread, slices in small squares with a knife.

The eggs (and fish) are laid on the dish or in bowl soup, according to taste.

AÇORDA:The bread soup is the most famous dish from Alentejo’s cuisine. It goes to the poor and rich table.In old times it was the breakfast for rural workers. It has many variants, influenced by the change of year seasons, as is the rule in traditional cuisines from diferent places. It's always a transparent hot broth flavored with coriander or pennyroyal (or both). Always seasoned with olive oil, garlic and salt.On it, usualy we use consistent slices or pieces of wheat bread, preferably homemade and hard.It’s generally attached to poached eggs, which can also be cooked, and olives.You can use the water, where a piece of hake or cod were cooked; It can also be accompanied with fried or broiled sardines.In autumn, is often enriched with thin strips of green pepper, which is scalded with the herbs.While eating AÇORDA, you can follow up with ripe figs, grapes or pieces of melon.