Lisbon's açorda is made with fresh seafood — usually prawns (large shrimp) — and a risotto-like texture is preferred. Although city folk prefer the elegance of white bread, cornbread makes a particularly good seafood açorda: the sweetness of the crumb works well with crustaceans.

1. Tear the bread into bite-sized pieces. Let it soak in a bowl of salted water for a couple of hours, then squeeze dry, using your hands.

2. Meanwhile, finely slice the onions or leeks and fry gently in half the olive oil until soft and golden — 30 minutes is not too long. Chop the tomatoes and let them cook down to half their volume in a roomy stewpot with the rest of the olive oil and the garlic.

3. Crush the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a mortar and add them to the tomatoes, along with the oregano. When the tomatoes are well cooked down, push through a strainer, return to the pan, and stir in the soaked, squeezed-out bread and 4 cups of fresh water. Let it bubble up and cook gently for another 20 minutes, then stir in the contents of the frying pan along with the jumbo shrimp, the sliced chouriço, if using, and an optional dash of anchovies to bring up the fishy flavor.

4. Cook for another 20 minutes, until the bread is perfectly amalgamated with the broth. Stir in a pat of butter and finish with a liberal scattering of fresh chopped cilantro.

Recipe © 2005 Elisabeth Luard. All rights reserved.
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