After sampling the Empanadas of Patagonia, I decided it was time to re-visit Portugal to sample their Pie offerings. My anticipation was raised as a couple of years ago in Lisbon when I’d discovered the Doce Real Café in the Principe Real district that did the most exquisite chicken pies. So with this in mind I set off cycling from the south coast and found myself in Aljezur and ready for a break.
At the Cafe da Ponte I was browsing through their offerings and spotted what I was looking for, small chicken pies with perfectly crimped edges. The pies (empanadas) are about the size of a traditional Lancashire Whist Pie and so it seemed only right (given a full day of cycling in front of me) to order 4.
So the all-important taste test. The pastry wasn’t as thick as it appears – which is really good – sometimes when you get small pork pies they seem to be all pastry, air and no filling. In this case the pastry was thin and firm and filled completely with lightly seasoned shredded chicken.
Needless to say I ate all 4, but would have appreciated them better if they had been served warm or hot. Being delivered cold left a slight claggy feel in the mouth. But apart from this a real treat and one I’ll keep looking out for on the backroads of Portugal.
A cold rating of 7.6
MH.
