As you look across Portuguese tables, it’s impossible not to notice the clay dishes. A legacy of age-old traditions, they are still very much present today in family cooking and in taverns across the country.
Their secret? Gentle, even cooking that respects the flavours of the ingredients and flatters meat, fish, vegetables and even desserts. Clay, a natural, breathable material, retains heat for a long time, so dishes are brought to the table piping hot and perfect for sharing.
Beyond their practical qualities, clay dishes also carry a cultural and aesthetic dimension: each piece, often shaped by hand, reflects the authenticity and artisanal know-how of Portugal. They turn a simple meal into a warm experience where flavour meets tradition.
That’s why some of Portugal’s most typical recipes—from baked cod to feijoada, from duck rice to roast octopus—truly come into their own when prepared and served in these rustic, elegant dishes.
Here are a few classic Portuguese recipes that are at their best when cooked in a clay dish.
Bacalhau com Natas (Cod with Cream)
In Portugal, there’s a saying that bacalhau can be cooked in 365 different ways—one for each day of the year. Among them, Bacalhau com Natas is one of the most beloved. Unlike other cod dishes born from the sea and the simplicity of fishermen’s fare, this one is a little more refined: you can sense the influence of 19th-century bourgeois cooking, where crème fraîche and béchamel enriched traditional recipes.
It’s a generous, convivial dish, served at family meals or in Lisbon taverns, always in a large clay baking dish that keeps the heat right to the last spoonful.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 800 g desalted cod (bacalhau)
- 1.2 kg potatoes
- 2 large onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 60 g butter
- 60 g plain flour
- 750 ml milk
- 250 ml crème fraîche
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt, pepper
- Breadcrumbs (optional, for gratinating)
Method
Prepare the cod
- Desalt the cod for 24–36 hours in cold water, changing the water several times.
- Poach in a pan of barely simmering water with a bay leaf for 10 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, remove skin and bones, then flake coarsely.
The potatoes
- Peel and cut into small cubes.
- Fry lightly (they should be golden but not fully crisp). Drain on kitchen paper.
Onion and garlic
- In a frying pan, gently sauté the sliced onions and chopped garlic in olive oil until soft.
Enriched béchamel
- Melt the butter, add the flour and stir. Gradually whisk in the hot milk to avoid lumps.
- Add the crème fraîche, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. The sauce should be silky.
Assembly
- In a large clay baking dish, combine the flaked cod, potatoes and the onion–garlic mixture.
- Pour the béchamel–cream sauce over and fold through gently.
- Optionally sprinkle with breadcrumbs for a golden gratin.
Baking
- Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes until the top is nicely gratinated.
To serve
Bring the dish straight to the table in the clay baking dish, still steaming. It’s perfect with a crisp green salad and a glass of Portuguese white wine (a Vinho Verde or a Dão).
Arroz de Pato (Duck Rice)
Arroz de Pato is an emblematic dish of Portuguese cuisine, from the north of the country, notably Minho and the city of Braga. It’s often called a “celebration dish” because it brings together rich confit duck, smoky chouriço and fragrant rice cooked in the meat stock.
In the past, families prepared it for special occasions or Sunday lunches, always served in a clay dish to retain heat and lend that signature rustic note. A fun anecdote: students in Coimbra liked to say it was the dish that united everyone—generous, comforting and perfect for sharing around a big table.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 whole duck (about 1.5–2 kg)
- 500 g long Portuguese rice (Carolino type)
- 2 Portuguese chouriços (one for the stock, one for the topping)
- 150 g smoked bacon
- 2 carrots
- 2 onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 clove
- 1 glass dry white wine
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper
Method
Cook the duck
- In a large pot, add the whole duck, one onion studded with the clove, the carrots, a bay leaf and one chouriço.
- Cover with water, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 1 hour 30 minutes, until the meat pulls away easily.
- Remove the duck, shred the meat into small pieces and set aside. Strain the stock and reserve it to cook the rice.
The rice
- In a saucepan, soften the remaining onion and chopped garlic in a little olive oil.
- Add the rice, sauté for 2 minutes, then deglaze with the white wine.
- Pour in twice its volume of duck stock. Cook gently until absorbed (the rice should remain slightly moist).
Assembly
- In a large clay dish, spread a first layer of rice, then add the shredded duck and diced bacon.
- Cover with a second layer of rice.
- Decorate the top with the second chouriço sliced into rounds.
Final bake
- Bake at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until the surface is golden and slightly crisp.
To serve
Serve still steaming, with a green salad or Portuguese cabbage (couve-galega) lightly sautéed with garlic. A full-bodied red from the Douro or Alentejo pairs beautifully with this generous dish.
Feijoada à Portuguesa (Portuguese Bean Stew)
Feijoada is arguably one of Portugal’s most popular dishes—a true symbol of conviviality. Every region has its own variation, but they all share the same base: a long-simmered stew of beans, pork cuts and smoked sausages.
Its origins lie in Portugal’s rural traditions, where nothing was wasted: simpler cuts of pork were simmered slowly with beans to make a hearty, flavourful meal. Feijoada is often considered a “Sunday” or big family-gathering dish, always served in a large clay pot or dish that holds the heat and highlights its rustic, generous character.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 500 g dried red beans (or 2 tins of cooked beans)
- 400 g pork belly (or fresh streaky bacon)
- 400 g pork ribs
- 200 g pig’s ear (optional, very traditional)
- 1 Portuguese chouriço
- 1 farinheira (Portuguese flour-and-fat sausage)
- 1 morcela (Portuguese black pudding)
- 2 onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ripe tomatoes (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
- 2 carrots
- 1 small glass white wine
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper, sweet paprika
Method
Prepare the beans
- Soak the dried beans overnight in cold water.
- Drain, then cook in a large pot with a bay leaf until tender (about 1 hour). Reserve with a little cooking liquor.
Cook the meats
- In a large casserole, brown the belly, ribs and pig’s ear in a little olive oil.
- Add the sliced carrots, chopped onions, crushed garlic and tomatoes.
- Deglaze with the white wine and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the sausages
- Add the chouriço and farinheira whole (they’ll perfume the broth without falling apart).
- Pour in a little hot water and cook gently for 30–40 minutes.
Finish the feijoada
- Stir in the cooked beans with some of their cooking liquor.
- Add the morcela towards the end so it doesn’t disintegrate.
- Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika).
- Simmer very gently for a further 15 minutes so the flavours meld.
To serve
Serve directly in a large steaming clay pot, with white rice and Portuguese cabbage (couve-galega) sautéed with garlic. It’s a rich, comforting dish to share with family or friends, best matched with a robust red from Alentejo or the Douro.
Carne de Porco à Alentejana (Pork with Clams)
Carne de Porco à Alentejana is a true Portuguese treasure. Originating from Alentejo—a vast southern region known for its golden plains, Iberian black pork (porco preto) and generous wines—this dish perfectly captures the Portuguese spirit: bringing land and sea together on the same plate.
Tradition holds that this surprising pairing was born from trade with sailors who brought fresh clams from the coast to cook with pork raised on inland farms. Today it’s one of the most popular dishes in seafood restaurants across Portugal, always presented in a large clay dish that showcases its colours and keeps all its warmth.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1.2 kg pork shoulder/neck, cubed
- 1 kg fresh clams (amêijoas)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch fresh coriander
- 1.2 kg potatoes (for cubed chips)
- 100 ml olive oil
- Salt, pepper
Method
Marinate the meat
- Combine the pork with white wine, crushed garlic, paprika, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
- Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).
Prepare the clams
- Soak in salted water for 2 hours to purge any sand.
- Rinse well before cooking.
Cook the meat
- Drain the pork from the marinade.
- Heat the olive oil in a deep clay pot or large casserole and brown the meat on all sides.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the clams
- Stir in the clams, pour in a little of the reserved marinade and cover.
- Cook over a high heat for 5–7 minutes until the shells open.
Prepare the potatoes
- Cut into cubes and fry separately until nicely golden.
- Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.
Assembly
- Add the fried potatoes to the pork and clams.
- Fold together gently.
- Finish with a generous handful of chopped fresh coriander before serving.
To serve
Enjoy Carne de Porco à Alentejana straight from its hot, fragrant clay dish. It’s a generous, shareable classic that embodies Portuguese conviviality. Pair with a chilled white from Alentejo or a lightly sparkling Vinho Verde.
From cod bakes and family gratins to duck rice and slow-cooked pork—plus emblematic dishes like Feijoada or Carne de Porco à Alentejana—clay is far more than a simple utensil: it’s the secret to authentic Portuguese cooking. It holds the heat, enhances flavours and lends every meal a rustic, welcoming touch.
If you’d like to cook like the Portuguese and bring that authentic taste home, explore our range of traditional clay bakeware, handmade in Portugal using artisanal methods. From small casseroles to large family dishes, each piece is unique, built to last—and ready to elevate your favourite Portuguese recipes.