Rolled Alentejo Filhós
Also known as: Rolled Filhós · Vila Viçosa rolled filhós
Thin pastry ribbons fried into spirals and glazed with sugar syrup or honey.
- Origin
- Alentejo · Carnival tradition
- Region
- Alentejo · also Vila Viçosa
- Season
- Carnival
Filhós Enrolada is an Alentejo fritter shaped like a snail or rose. Elastic pastry strips about 20 by 7 centimetres are progressively wound around the tines of a long fork as they fry, creating thin, irregular, blistered layers.
The dough uses eggs, lard, butter, aguardente, sugar, salt and flour, sometimes with orange juice. Once golden, the spirals are coated in sugar syrup or honey; they may alternatively be finished with cinnamon sugar.
- eggs
- wheat flour
- lard
- butter
- aguardente
- sugar
- salt
- optional orange juice
- frying oil
- honey or syrup
Crisp and syrupy, with notes of butter, aguardente and orange between fine pastry layers.
It may be coated in sugar syrup, honey or simply cinnamon sugar; the Vila Viçosa version is a recognised variant.
At Carnival celebrations, fairs and traditional confectioners across the Alentejo, especially in the lower Alentejo and Vila Viçosa.
Espresso, orange tea or pennyroyal liqueur.
It belonged to the abundant Carnival tables of the Alentejo. Filhós were prepared on the preceding Thursday in quantities meant to last the whole week, serving as both treats for friends and displays of each household's culinary skill.
Sources: tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt
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