Chef Margarida
Açorda de Camarão
The peasant bread soup of Alentejo dressed for company, sweet pink prawns swimming in a broth of garlic, coentros, and golden azeite. Humble origins, elegant result. This is who we are.
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Cozido das Furnas
Created by
The legendary stew of São Miguel island, buried at dawn in volcanic earth and unearthed hours later, tender and transformed. The only dish in Portugal where the cook is the planet itself.
Main Dishes
Portuguese, Azores
Special Occasion
1 hr
Active Time
6 hr cook•7 hr total
Yield8-10 servings
There's a place in the Azores where the earth breathes. Steam rises from the ground. Sulfur hangs in the air. And every morning, cooks carry heavy pots down to the caldeiras of Furnas and bury them in holes where the volcanic heat reaches 100 degrees celsius. They walk away. They come back hours later. And the earth has cooked their dinner.
I first saw this when I traveled to São Miguel to document the recipes of the Azorean grandmothers. Dona Celeste, 82 years old, led me down to the fumaroles at six in the morning, her pot wrapped in burlap and tied with rope. She buried it in a hole no bigger than a washing machine, covered it with volcanic soil, and marked the spot with a stick. "Volto às duas," she said. I'll be back at two. Eight hours. That's how long the earth needs.
What comes out of that hole is unlike any stew I've tasted anywhere in Portugal. The meats fall apart. The vegetables have absorbed every flavor. There's a faint mineral quality, something almost smoky, that you can't replicate any other way. It's the taste of the island itself.
You can't bury a pot in volcanic steam at home. I know. But you can honor this dish by understanding what makes it work: slow, moist, gentle heat that transforms tough cuts and humble vegetables into something extraordinary. A heavy pot. A very low oven. Patience. That's your volcano. It won't taste exactly the same. Nothing could. But it will taste like the Azores, like memory, like somewhere you've never been but somehow remember.
Cozido das Furnas has been cooked in the volcanic caldeiras of São Miguel island since at least the 16th century, when Portuguese settlers discovered the fumaroles could reach cooking temperatures. The tradition nearly died in the mid-20th century but was revived as both local heritage and tourist attraction. Today, the Furnas lakeside caldeiras hold dozens of buried pots each morning, each marked with the restaurant or family name, creating a communal cooking ground unlike anywhere else on earth.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
beef shank
Quantity
500g
bone-in
beef short ribs
Quantity
500g
pork belly
Quantity
400g
skin on
pork spare ribs
Quantity
300g
chicken thighs
Quantity
4
bone-in, skin-on
chouriço de carne
Quantity
2 (about 200g each)
morcela (blood sausage)
Quantity
2 (about 150g each)
farinheira (flour sausage)
Quantity
1 (about 150g)
waxy potatoes
Quantity
800g
peeled and halved
sweet potatoes
Quantity
400g
peeled and quartered
inhame or taro root
Quantity
400g
peeled and quartered
carrots
Quantity
4 medium
peeled, cut into large chunks
turnips
Quantity
2 medium
peeled and quartered
green cabbage
Quantity
1 small
quartered through the core
couve galega or kale
Quantity
300g
ribs removed, leaves whole
onion
Quantity
1 large
quartered
garlic cloves
Quantity
6
smashed
bay leaves
Quantity
4
coarse sea salt
Quantity
1 tablespoon
black peppercorns
Quantity
1 teaspoon
dry white wine
Quantity
2 cups
water
Quantity
to cover
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| beef shankbone-in | 500g |
| beef short ribs | 500g |
| pork bellyskin on | 400g |
| pork spare ribs | 300g |
| chicken thighsbone-in, skin-on | 4 |
| chouriço de carne | 2 (about 200g each) |
| morcela (blood sausage) | 2 (about 150g each) |
| farinheira (flour sausage) | 1 (about 150g) |
| waxy potatoespeeled and halved | 800g |
| sweet potatoespeeled and quartered | 400g |
| inhame or taro rootpeeled and quartered | 400g |
| carrotspeeled, cut into large chunks | 4 medium |
| turnipspeeled and quartered | 2 medium |
| green cabbagequartered through the core | 1 small |
| couve galega or kaleribs removed, leaves whole | 300g |
| onionquartered | 1 large |
| garlic clovessmashed | 6 |
| bay leaves | 4 |
| coarse sea salt | 1 tablespoon |
| black peppercorns | 1 teaspoon |
| dry white wine | 2 cups |
| water | to cover |
Equipment Needed
- •10-liter heavy stockpot or large Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid
- •Aluminum foil for sealing
- •Large serving platters (at least 2)
- •Slotted spoon
- •Ladle
Instructions
- 1
Prepare and layer the meats
Choose your largest, heaviest pot with a tight-fitting lid. A 10-liter stockpot or large Dutch oven is ideal. The layering matters. Start with the beef shank and short ribs at the bottom. These need the longest cooking and the most heat. Add the pork belly and spare ribs on top of the beef. Season this layer with half the salt, half the peppercorns, the bay leaves, smashed garlic, and quartered onion. Nestle the chicken thighs on top of the pork. The meats should be packed reasonably tight.
In Furnas, Dona Celeste wraps each type of meat in cheesecloth to keep them separate for serving. You can do this at home if you want a cleaner presentation, though it's not essential. - 2
Add the sausages and root vegetables
Pierce the chouriço, morcela, and farinheira with a fork in a few places so they don't burst during cooking. Tuck them around and between the meats. Now add the heartiest vegetables: the regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, inhame, carrots, and turnips. Push them into any gaps. These vegetables will drink the broth and the rendered fat, becoming impossibly silky.
- 3
Top with cabbage and greens
Place the cabbage quarters on top, cut-side down. Drape the kale leaves over everything like a blanket. These go last because they cook fastest. Sprinkle the remaining salt and peppercorns over the top.
The kale acts as insulation, keeping the steam inside and protecting the other ingredients. Don't skip it even if you're not a kale person. You can remove it before serving if you must. - 4
Add liquid and seal
Pour the white wine over everything, then add enough water to come about two-thirds up the contents. Don't submerge the cabbage and kale. You want steam to do the work, not a full boil. Cover with a layer of parchment paper pressed directly onto the surface, then seal the pot with its lid. If the lid doesn't seal perfectly, wrap the entire lid-to-pot junction with aluminum foil to trap every bit of steam.
- 5
Cook low and slow
Place the pot in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 120°C (250°F). Walk away. This is important. You're simulating volcanic heat: constant, gentle, patient. Let it cook undisturbed for 6 hours minimum. In Furnas, the pots stay buried for 7 to 8 hours. Time is your volcano now. Do not open the pot. Do not check. Do not worry. Trust the process.
Starting in a cold oven mimics the gradual heat increase the pot experiences as it's lowered into the volcanic pit. It also prevents thermal shock to your pot. - 6
Rest and serve
After 6 hours, turn off the oven but leave the pot inside for another 30 minutes. This resting period lets everything settle. Then, carefully remove the pot and take it directly to the table if you can. The unveiling is part of the ritual. Remove the lid at the table so everyone can witness the steam and smell the extraordinary perfume that's been building for hours.
- 7
Arrange for serving
Traditionally, the meats and vegetables are served on separate platters so each person can choose what they want. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to one large platter. Arrange the different meats on another. Slice the sausages on a cutting board at the table. Ladle the cooking broth into a gravy boat. Every element is served together but distinctly, honoring each ingredient's contribution to the whole.
Chef Tips
- •The sausages make or break this dish. If you can find Azorean chouriço, use it. It's different from mainland Portuguese varieties, more paprika-forward, slightly sweeter. Portuguese grocers in diaspora communities often stock it, or you can order online. Spanish chorizo is not a substitute. Não mexas nisso.
- •Inhame (taro root) is traditional and worth seeking out at Asian or Portuguese markets. It has a starchy, slightly nutite quality that potatoes can't replicate. If you truly cannot find it, add extra sweet potatoes.
- •The broth that remains is liquid gold. Strain it, skim the fat if you want (though in the Azores they don't), and serve it in small cups alongside the meal. Some families cook rice in this broth the next day.
- •This is a celebration dish. It feeds a crowd. It takes all day. Do not attempt to halve the recipe or rush it. Cozido das Furnas is a commitment. Honor that.
Advance Preparation
- •The meats can be trimmed and portioned the day before. Keep refrigerated.
- •Vegetables can be peeled and cut the night before. Store potatoes and inhame submerged in cold water to prevent browning. Drain and dry before using.
- •The entire cozido can be cooked a day ahead. Cool completely, refrigerate in the pot, and reheat gently at 150°C (300°F) for 1 hour before serving. Some argue it's even better the second day.
- •Leftover broth freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Use it as the base for soups or to cook rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 600g)
Calories
1400 calories
Total Fat
94 g
Saturated Fat
34 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
52 g
Cholesterol
298 mg
Sodium
1670 mg
Total Carbohydrates
54 g
Dietary Fiber
10 g
Sugars
9 g
Protein
72 g
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