Bola de Lamego

Description: Ball made with wheat flour, baker's yeast, water, butter, pork baniu or olive oil, stuffed with meats, cod or sardines. The ball weighs about 850 g.

Region: North.

Variants: Lamego Meat Ball. Lamego's Bacalhau ball. Lamego Sardinha Ball.

Particularity: Bread stuffed with meat, cod or sardines.

History: In the course of the research aimed at situating the Bola de Lamego in the region, Mrs. Dª Maria Baguinho (better known as Dª Marquinhas) who is the faithful depository of the recipes of the old Convent of Lamego was interviewed. This lady said that since the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Bola de Lamego has been recognized for its typicality, maintaining its production to this day. Currently, they are also manufactured in pastry shops, although the traditional manufacture is maintained more in establishments that were once taverns and in private homes.

Use: Much appreciated as a snack or as an aperitif at party dinners and, above all, on the night of St. John.

Know-how: Place the wheat flour in a bowl, make a hole in the middle and pour the yeast and warm water. Knead by hand, resting until it rises. At this point it is kneaded again with butter and lard or olive oil. Roll out part of the dough in a greased can of butter or lard, if it is for Meat Ball, or olive oil, if it is for Codfish or Sardine Ball. Place the meat (ham broken into slices, pork streaky meat already half cured and/or sausage). It is covered with the rest of the dough and goes to the oven, with the meat being greased with butter, when ready. If it is Codfish Ball, it should be shredded, adding finely chopped onion and olive oil, all lightly sautéed. For the Sardine Ball, these are opened in half, the bones are removed, chopped onion is poured and drizzled with olive oil. In the Fish Balls, once the dough is covered, grease the top with olive oil.

Source: Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001