The fabulous market hall in Porto, where a dizzying variety of sausages can be found.

Scroll down to see images  and read descriptions of the various dishes:

FRANCESCINA

Arguably the signature dish of Porto, Francescina is the Portugese take on a Croque Monseiur (look it up). Readily available scross the city, Francescina consists of a toasted sandwich filled with spicy grilled meats, sometimes topped with a poached egg. Cheese is melted over the top and the resulting snack is smothered in a tomato and garlic sauce. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a local chef was so enamoured of a french  woman (perhaps named Francesca?) that he invented the dish in her honour. It’s tasty enough but I would have to deem it junk food and it always comes with either chips or crisps. Nothing very healthy here……

PORTO FISH DOCKS

In the dock area of Porto you will find numerous fish restaurants who barbecue food out on the street. I tell you, the fish are straight from the fishing boats and the smells of roasting food are guaranteed to get  anyone’s mouth watering. Anyone that is but Anna, who hates the sight and smell of cooking fish!

DORADE

Needless top say, the Big Pan Man could not resist and treated himself to a barbecued Dorade (called John Dory in the UK). What a fresh, succulent fish it was too. Yummy!

THE RESTAURANT

A few of the other delights on offer………..

ROAST KID

The Big Pan Man claims he felt quite biblical eating this dish of roast kid with roast potatoes at one of the excellent and reasonably priced, riverside restaurants. His pan-ness apologises if the image is a little out of focus. He’d had a few beers you see…………..

GARLIC & BREAD STEW WITH  BACCALAU (SALT COD)

This was a delicious but very filling dish from another of the wonderful riverside restaurants in Porto. The charming young waitress mixed a raw egg into the stew at the table. Baccalau is a common ingredient in Portugal and is often served in batter with chips (how novel). It features in a variety of soups and stews. It is always soaked prior to being used in cooking – thank goodness!

SALAD

Here is one of the better salads Anna had……………….

ANOTHER B****Y SALAD

Ah well, never mind. A nice location at least………………

*NB All Big Pan Tasters must remain anonymous.

PORK…..

There was a lot of it about in Porto. The Big Pan Man spotted this fake porker in a butcher’s shop window. A resident of the Black Country would feel at home in Portugal.

GREMIO DOS LEITOES RESTAURANT

A visit to the famous Demios doe Leitoes restaurant is a must for all lovers of  pork. Piggies are everywhere. The restaurant specializes in roast suckling pig. The Big Pan Man was very impressed. It seems even French people seek the place out. Anna enjoyed the porcine ambience but, predicatably, not the food. Although they did knock her up a very nice cheese salad….

www.gremiodosleitose.com

GOURMET FRANCESCINA

It seemed a bit like gold-plating a Reliant Robin to The Big Pan Man but the menu featured a posh version of the Porto street classic. Stuffed, you guessed it, with roast suckling pig. It was damn good too but go easy on the crisps guys…………….

LAITAE

Here it is the famous roast suckling pig. He said easy on the  crisps!

CALDO VERDE

Finally, Anna found something she liked. It’s called Caldo Verde and it’s a bit like Kale. They make soup with it.

CALDO VERDE SOUP

And here it is…. Very tasty too.

TRIPE

Tripe is big in Porto. The story goes that the brave knights of Christendom were off to the middle east to bash some arabs ( nothing changes). The locals in Porto wanted to show their support and gave the lads all their meat, leaving only the tripe for themselves. Thus, they had to learn how to cook it and it remains popular to this day.

Having suffered an andouillete (tripe sausage) in Brittany, The Big Pan Man could not be persuaded to sample this local delicacy – this from someone who eats pork scratching s (pig’s toenails)! – shame on you Big Pan Man!

FURTHER ADVENTURES

More of the Big Pan Man’s culinary adventures will be added to the site when he can afford to go on further research trips, so seek him out and buy something. You know you want to, really……………..