Egg Lamprey

Intensely sweet and deeply eggy, with the concentrated flavour of yolks and, where almond is used, its warmth. The texture is its charm: the yolk plates are moist and slightly springy, the filling is creamy, and the egg threads dissolve in silky strands. Rich and sugary — it asks for small slices.

Shape and size vary widely from house to house: some lampreys are small and individual, others are vast centrepieces for the Christmas table. Some bakers enrich the body with ground almond, others pack in more egg threads, and the most skilled sculpt gills, scales and modelled eyes. Beyond the Baixo Mondego tradition, there is the well-known Lampreia de Portalegre in the Alentejo, with its own recipe and reputation.

Look for it in the pastry shops and convent-sweet houses of Montemor-o-Velho and the Baixo Mondego, and in confeitarias around Coimbra that still master the technique, especially around Christmas. The real thing is hand-sculpted with a clearly fish-shaped body — be wary of flat or industrial imitations. As it is laborious, ordering ahead is the surest bet.

It calls for a sweet or fortified wine that can stand up to its intensity — a Moscatel, a tawny Port, or a liqueur wine. For something lighter, a short, bitter espresso cuts cleanly through the sweetness.