Serpa Bacon Broth with Pennyroyal and Poached Eggs

Serpa bacon broth starts in the frying pan: the bacon is fried, set aside, and the fat is used to soften the onion with pennyroyal. Sliced potatoes and poached eggs go into the broth, which is thickened slightly with flour and vinegar. It is a savoury winter dish, ready the same day.

A recipe collected in Serpa

The Alentejo Gastronomic Charter records this preparation in Serpa, in an interview with Mariana Arruda. The source highlights the combination of pork fat and olive oil with pennyroyal. It does not present it as a specific Christmas Eve dish; this 24 December article simply proposes another winter recipe collected in the Alentejo.

Serves: 4 bowls
Approximate time: 45 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

• 120 g cured bacon, cut into small strips
• 20 ml olive oil
• 1 medium onion (about 150 g), thinly sliced into half-moons
• 2 garlic cloves (about 10 g), chopped
• 5 g fresh pennyroyal leaves, washed and chopped
• 600 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm slices
• 1.2 l hot water for the broth
• 4 eggs
• 25 g plain wheat flour
• 80 ml cold water to mix with the flour
• 25 ml white wine vinegar
• Salt only if needed, after tasting

Preparation

1. Fry the bacon. Heat the 20 ml of olive oil in a wide frying pan. Add the bacon strips and fry for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, until golden and some of the fat has been released. Transfer them to a plate. Set aside the fat from the pan; if there are dark bits, strain it.
2. Make the broth base. Transfer the fat to a saucepan and add the onion, garlic and 5 g of pennyroyal. Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft but not browned. The source lists garlic among the ingredients but does not specify when to add it: we add it here with the sautéed onion.
3. Cook the potatoes. Add 1.2 l of hot water and bring to a boil. Add the potato slices, partially cover and simmer over low heat for 12 to 16 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. Taste the broth before considering adding salt, as the cured bacon may already season it.
4. Poach the eggs. Lower the heat so the broth is only gently simmering. Crack each egg into a cup and carefully slide it into the saucepan, leaving space between them. Cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until the whites are firm; for firmer yolks, cook for longer. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them in warmed bowls.
5. Thicken the broth. In a bowl, whisk the 25 g of flour with the 80 ml of cold water and the 25 ml of vinegar until smooth. Pour this mixture in a thin stream into the gently boiling broth, stirring carefully so as not to break up the potatoes. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes so the flour loses its raw taste and the broth thickens slightly. If it becomes too thick, add a little hot water. Taste and only then adjust the salt.
6. Serve. Divide the broth and potatoes between the four bowls, place one egg in each, and serve the fried bacon on the side or on top just before eating.

Tips for a lump-free broth

Always mix the flour with cold water first; do not add it dry to the saucepan. Add the vinegar to the flour mixture before incorporating it, as in the collected recipe. Set the eggs aside while stirring the broth to keep the yolks intact. Pennyroyal has an intense aroma, so this version uses a moderate amount.

To accompany

EA Rosé 2024 – Vinho Regional Alentejano, served chilled, is a suggestion to accompany the richness of the bacon and the broth's vinegary note. The shop's Paia de Toucinho de Porco Preto is a cured and smoked alternative for those who do not have bacon from the salting room: it gives a different flavour from the ingredient in the collected recipe, so we do not present it as an exact equivalent. This paia is sold in 100 g packs; two packs would be needed to use the 120 g indicated in the recipe, leaving some paia for another preparation.

Storage

The broth is best served freshly made. If there are leftovers, cool them quickly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat until piping hot; for the best texture, make fresh eggs when serving.

More recipes in the series

If you prefer a meat-free broth, see our Mina de São Domingos olive oil beans with potato and rice.

Source

Alentejo Gastronomic Charter (2013), p. 930, “Bacon Broth”, Serpa. Interview with Mariana Arruda, by Joaquim Pulga, in 2012.

Recipe collected in the Alentejo, adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the “À Mesa com o Alentejo” blog. We kept the frying of the bacon, the sautéing of the onion and pennyroyal in the fat, the potatoes, the poached eggs and the flour-and-vinegar mixture. The source does not specify quantities: we provided measurements, timings and consistency for four bowls, added the garlic listed among the ingredients to the sautéed onion and removed the eggs while thickening the broth so they would not break. The cured and smoked paia is only an alternative product, not the bacon from the salting room in the collected recipe.

Illustrative image generated for this article.