What to eat

February 18th, 2007

The variety of dishes to eat is enormous, here are just a few to get you appetite going: 

Starters
Many starters are available, the most traditional are the lapas (limpets) a native Madeira shellfish and the tasty tomato soup shouldn’t be missed.
 
Cataplana
Traditional Portuguese dish named after the pan it is cooked in. A delicious dish with plenty of different seafood.
 
Espada (scabbard)
Only found in the waters of Madeira, It`s a very popular fish in Madeira with many different ways and ingredients to be cooked. It can be served with banana, passion fruit, garlic and many other ways.
 
Espetada
Chunks of beef traditionally flavoured with garlic, sea salt and crushed bay leaves, skewered on a stick and grilled traditionally in open fire. Some restaurants now use an electric cooks to grill it, others still grill it in the fire and you can see it being grilled while you wait to be served. 

Prego no prato
Tender beef grilled or fried served with chips, salad and rice. A simple and tasty dish.
 
Bolo do caco
Traditional Madeira bread presented in flat circles, made of flour, sweet potatoes, yeast and water, cooked in an opened fire.  

Caldeirada
Delicious fish soup with many different types of fish in it. Not to be missed.  

Arroz de marisco (seafood rice)
Rice cooked with an enormous variety of fresh seafood.   

Bacalhau
The ancient and traditional dried cod fish.  Bacalhau is one of the dishes Portuguese people eat during Christmas Eve. Portuguese people have more than 1001 ways of cooking this fish and believe me all of them very delicious.