Baleizão-style Alentejo Dogfish Soup

In Baleizão dogfish soup, the fish and potatoes cook in a broth of garlic, bay leaf, olive oil and coriander. The flour and vinegar provide the finishing touch; Alentejo bread waits at the bottom of the bowl to absorb the broth.

A recipe preserved in Baleizão

This version was recorded in an interview with Mariana David, in Baleizão, in the municipality of Beja, for the Alentejo Gastronomic Charter. The preparation that was recorded includes a step worth preserving: before thickening the pot, mix the flour and vinegar separately and add a ladleful of the dogfish broth. This slow combination gives the broth body without leaving lumps.

Serves: 4 people
Total time: about 45 minutes

Ingredients for 4 people

• 600 to 800 g cleaned dogfish, cut into steaks
• 500 g potatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch of coriander
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil, such as Azeite Cartuxa Virgem Extra 2026 – 500 ml (tube)
• 1.5 l water
• 2 level tablespoons wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or to taste
• 4 slices of Alentejo bread, such as Pão Tradicional Alentejano – Forno de Lenha – 500 g
• Salt, as needed

Preparation

1. Start with the sofrito. Peel and chop the garlic and onion. Heat the olive oil in a pot, add them with the bay leaf and let them soften over medium heat, without letting the garlic burn.
2. Make the broth. Add the water and a pinch of salt. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes, about 1.5 cm, so they cook evenly. When the broth comes to a boil, add the potatoes and dogfish steaks. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Check the fish. As soon as the dogfish is opaque, fully cooked and separates easily into flakes, carefully remove it to a plate. If the potatoes are still firm, cook them for a few more minutes until a knife tip slides into them easily.
4. Thicken without lumps. In a bowl, mix the flour with a little cold water and the vinegar until smooth. Add a ladleful of hot broth, stirring well, and slowly pour the mixture into the pot. Stir and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the flour is cooked and the broth thickens.
5. Finish and serve. Return the dogfish to the pot, add the chopped coriander and heat for another minute. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar. Place a slice of Alentejo bread in each deep bowl and serve the fish, potatoes and broth on top.

Tips for getting the broth right

Do not let the dogfish boil too vigorously, or it may fall apart. The flour mixture should be diluted before being added to the broth, and seasoned with a ladleful of hot liquid. Add the vinegar gradually at the end if you want a brighter flavour.

Alentejo bread at the table

Pão Tradicional Alentejano – Forno de Lenha – 500 g absorbs the broth and completes every spoonful. Place the slices in the bowls only when serving so they retain their texture.

Wine pairing

Serve Foral de Évora Branco 2023 – DOC Alentejo–Évora chilled with the dogfish and Alentejo bread.

Advance preparation and storage

You can prepare the garlic, onion and potatoes shortly before cooking, keeping the potatoes in cold water so they do not darken. The soup is best served immediately, with the bread placed in the bowl only when serving. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat them thoroughly.

Frequently asked questions

Why add hot broth to the flour?

To bring the temperature of the mixture closer to that of the pot and prevent lumps when it is added to the broth.

Can I use another type of bread?

You can, but a slice of firm Alentejo bread absorbs the broth well without falling apart too quickly.

Bring Alentejo to the table

Serve the soup over Pão Tradicional Alentejano de Forno de Lenha and pair it with Foral de Évora Branco 2023. For another fish recipe, discover our cod with pennyroyal.

Source

Confraria Gastronómica do Alentejo, Alentejo Gastronomic Charter (2013), p. 709. Dogfish soup recipe collected in Baleizão, Beja, in an interview with Mariana David.

Recipe collected in Baixo Alentejo and adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the “À Mesa com o Alentejo” blog. The quantities and timings were adjusted for four people. The source mentions onion in the preparation, although it does not list it among the ingredients; it has been included in this version. The source recipe uses four tablespoons of flour and four of vinegar; here, both have been reduced to two, with the final amounts adjusted to taste.

Illustrative image generated for this article.