Açorda alentejana is the mother of all Portuguese bread soups — and the humblest, most brilliant dish the Alentejo ever produced: stale bread transformed by a paste of garlic, cilantro and olive oil, hot...

This is the stew I crave on cold, rainy days: chunks of lamb marinated with garlic, bay and thyme, browned deep, then simmered in red wine and broth until fork-tender, with carrots and potatoes...

Gambas al ajillo con chorizo is what happens when Spain’s two best tapas collide: the garlicky sizzling prawns of the classic gambas al ajillo, plus chorizo rendering its smoky, paprika-stained fat into the same...

This is my weeknight-friendly roasted octopus — a paprika-and-garlic variation on the lagareiro theme (the purist polvo à lagareiro, all olive oil and restraint, is also on the site). Here, a smoked paprika dressing...

Arroz de polvo is what Portuguese coastal towns do with octopus when the grill is taken: simmer it tender, then cook the rice in its deeply flavored broth with tomato, pepper and paprika until...

Arroz de cabidela is Portugal at its most fearless: chicken braised in wine and garlic, rice cooked in the resulting broth, and — the defining gesture — the bird’s blood whisked with vinegar and...

This is the soup-style açorda alentejana — the brothier, lighter cousin of the thick bread stew (my skillet version is also on the site). Here, a fragrant broth of garlic, cilantro and olive oil...

This is the garlic bread of my childhood — not slices under broiled butter, but a whole rustic loaf hollowed out and filled with a molten mix of cheese, garlic, mayonnaise and cream, with...

If you grew up near New Bedford, Fall River or anywhere the Azorean diaspora settled, you know these as “Portuguese muffins” — the griddled rounds sold in every New England market. In São Miguel,...

Papos secos are the bread of Portuguese daily life: the crusty, cloud-crumbed rolls that carry breakfast butter, lunchtime bifanas and every prego no pão ever served. Ask for “um pão” anywhere in Portugal and...