Holiday Traditions
The children of Portugal will usually put a shoe next to the fireplace instead of a stocking. Most families set up a Christmas tree in their home and have a dinner called a Consoada. The children do believe in Santa but they call him Pai Natal, which means Father Christmas. During the holiday the town will be decorated with lights until January 6th.
Holiday Recipes
On Christmas day and Christmas Eve the families of Portugal have large dinners and lunches. Some recipes are below.
Meal:
Meal:
- Bacalhau cozido com batatas e couves (Salted Cod cooked with potates and cabbages)
- Ingredients:
- 8 cuts of cod
- 4 Portuguese cabbage
16 big potatoes
3 dl of oil
4 cloves of garlic
Salt and pepper
8 hard eggs
Preparation:
Cook the cod in boiled water during 15 to 20 minutes.
However, cook the cabbage eyes, the one that removed the external hard leaves.
In another recipient it cooks the potatoes with peel, previously washed.
Shell the cloves of garlic and cut them in thick slices. Take the oil to the fire and, as soon as it is hot, join the slices of garlic. Just let to explode.
Season the oil, out of the fire, with salt and pepper.
Serve the cod in a bar, the potatoes and the eggs shelled in other and the cabbages in a third recipient. Lie the oil in a bowl and serve accompanied with corn bread or with mixture bread.
Dessert:- Bolo Rei
- Ingredients:
- 600 gr of form bread
- 750 gr of sugar
- 400 gr of water
- 8 eggs
- 50 gr of butter
- Cinnamon
- Preparation:
The bread is cut in fine slices and ribbon-if-him the hull. They go by the eggs milk shakes and they are going to cook in the sugar in pearl point, mixed with the butter.
They are served in cup, sprinkled with cinnamon and the remaining liquid sugar. They are decorated with crystallized cherries.