Mirandela, Trás-os-Montes, Portugal
One of the most remarkable culinary inventions in Iberian history — a smoked sausage created by Portuguese Jews during the Inquisition to appear as if they were eating the forbidden pork products their neighbours hung in their windows. Alheira is made from chicken, bread, olive oil, garlic, and paprika — no pork — and has a softer, more open texture than chorizo or chouriço. Mirandela, in the Trás-os-Montes region of northern Portugal, is the production centre. The IGP designation protects the original recipe. Modern versions may include pork or game, but the original is and has always been poultry-based. The technique of using bread to bind the sausage meat produces a uniquely Portuguese product with no equivalent elsewhere.
The base is cooked chicken (or game bird), shredded and mixed with day-old bread soaked in the cooking broth, garlic, paprika, olive oil, salt, and white wine. The mixture is stuffed into natural casings and lightly smoked. The alheira must be cooked before eating — it is not a cured product like chouriço. Pan-fry, roast, or grill until the skin is golden and the interior is hot throughout.
Alheira com ovo a cavalo (alheira with a fried egg on top) is one of Portugal's most satisfying café dishes. Serve with migas or sautéed greens. The smoked character of a good alheira pairs with the smoky, volcanic character of wines from the Douro or Tejo. The Jewish crypto-cultural origin of alheira is documented — it is a living artefact of Sephardic culinary ingenuity under persecution.
Treating it as a cured ready-to-eat sausage — alheira must be fully cooked. Overcooking until it bursts — the casing holds the filling and once it splits the flavour escapes. Not scoring before cooking — the scoring allows fat to render and prevents bursting.
My Portugal by George Mendes