A Portuguese bread soup of stale country loaf reborn in a garlicky broth with olive oil, coriander, poached egg and either shellfish or salt cod added.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Acorda originates with the Alentejano shepherds in central Portugal as a hot bread-and-water sustenance, the day-old broa loaf softened in olive oil, garlic and coriander. The dish travelled north into Lisbon kitchens in the 19th century. The seafood version, acorda de marisco, became the city's most-celebrated take, with Pap'Acorda the canonical Bairro Alto room since 1981 and Solar dos Presuntos plating a Lisbon-classical version with prawns and clams.
Common allergens: Gluten, Eggs
Tip from the editors. Day-old country bread holds its texture, sliced sandwich bread turns to paste. Sourdough works best.
Pap'Acorda in Cais do Sodre, Lisbon: a Bairro Alto classic reborn at Mercado da Ribeira, still cooking Manuela Brandao's signature seafood acorda.
Signature: Acorda de marisco, Chocolate mousse
Order: Acorda de marisco, the bread-and-shellfish stew that named the room.
Pateo at Bairro do Avillez in Chiado, Lisbon: the glass-roofed centre court of Jose Avillez's complex, modern Portuguese mains served at long tables.
Signature: Acorda real, Roast suckling pig
Order: Acorda real, bread-and-shellfish stew with prawns and lobster.
Solar dos Presuntos in Restauradores, Lisbon: a family seafood institution open since 1974, famous for cured ham, Minho cuisine and a celebrity wall.
Signature: Arroz de marisco, Roast kid, Bacalhau a Braz
Order: The plate of presunto first, then arroz de marisco for two.
Casa do Alentejo in Lisbon's Restauradores: a 17th-century palace with a Moorish patio serving the bread soups, migas and pork of the Alentejo.
Signature: Acorda alentejana, Migas com entrecosto, Carne de porco a alentejana
Order: Acorda alentejana, the bread-and-coriander soup, with a poached egg.
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