Portuguese cuisine has a wide array of incredible sausages and cured meats that’s often unexplored. While many are acquainted with the Portuguese chouriço or chorizo, how it’s known internationally, the same doesn’t apply to alheira. With a unique flavour, alheira sausages are made from poultry, bread, garlic, and other spices. They are less smoky than the chouriço and have a doughy texture.
Alheira’s History
They were reportedly created by the Portuguese Jewish community, that needed to mask their pork-free diet during the Inquisition. These days, the alheira is a local favourite, and some types are even marked as Protected Geographic Indication (GPI). Alheira de Mirandela is an example of a GPI alheira, and was elected one of the Seven Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy in 2011.
On our recent trip to the north of the country we discovered a different way of eating this unique sausage: deep-fried, and it has become one of our favourite ways of preparing alheira! The hot oil creates a flaky crust that contrasts with the natural softness of the sausage. Resulting in an explosion of flavours and amazing texture!
What Type of Alheira to Use?
For this recipe we are using Alheira de Mirandela, which can be easily found at basically most supermarkets in Portugal. For those outside the country, you can probably find it at shops specialized in Portuguese food. If you can’t find Alheira de Mirandela, you can use any other alheira sausages such as Alheira de Caça or Alheira Transmontana. In Portugal there are also vegetarian alheira options available, so this recipe can easily be adapted to suit vegetarians.
About our Fried Alheira Recipe
This recipe is really simple to reproduce, and essentially you only need two ingredients. There are only two things you need to keep in mind in order to make the perfect fried alheiras. The first one is the temperature of the sausage, it should be room temperature, so you want to get your sausage out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking, but ideally 1 hour in advance. The second is the temperature of the oil, that should be at 190°C. On step number four, we show you how to check if the temperature is correct, if you don’t have a kitchen thermometer. Since the alheira is a very delicate sausage, these are important steps to ensure the alheira won’t loose its shape while frying.
Usually, this starter is served with turnip greens sautéed in olive oil and garlic, but we particularly prefer to use spinach instead. This deep fried alheira is the perfect appetizer and requires basically no prepping. It can also be turned into a main dish when paired with steamed rice or boiled potatoes. Continue to read to learn how to make deep-fried Portuguese alheira.
How to Make Deep-Fried Alheira Sausage
Alheira Frita – Deep-Fried Portuguese Alheira Sausages
3
servings15
minutes10
minutes159
kcalAlheira is a Portuguese sausage typically made with poultry, bread and spices. It’s often deep fried and can be served as a starter or main.
Ingredients
1 Alheira Sausage
1 l Vegetable Oil
Directions
- Remove the alheira from the fridge at least 1 hour before using it.
- Pour the oil into a pan suitable for deep frying, place it over medium heat.
- While the oil heats up, use a knife to score the outer side of the sausage, from end-to-end. The cut is supposed to be as superficial as possible, and ideally only cut through the skin.
- Once the oil has reached approximately 190°C (if you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, you can place the handle of a wooden spoon inside the oil and observe, if many bubbles form around the wood and they start to float up, the oil is ready for frying) carefully place the sausage in the oil. The skin will shrivel and separate from the sausage, pull it out of the oil.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes on one side, then gently flip it to finish frying. Once it’s golden brown and crispy, carefully remove it from the oil. Rest it on absorbent paper.
- Allow it to cool for a couple of minutes before slicing it. Serve it with some crusty bread and sautéed spinach or turnip greens.
Notes
- Optional: Spinach or turnip greens sautéed in olive oil and garlic.
Have you tried this recipe? Let us know in the comments! Looking for other ways to cook with alheira? Perhaps you want to take a look at our Alheira Croquettes.
