Bilharacos — Municipal Pumpkin Guild Recipe
Vagos Municipality published this recipe from the Confraria dos Sabores da Abóbora: menina pumpkin cooked with citrus and cinnamon, drained overnight, bound with eggs, sugar and flour and fried as small quenelles. DGADR and Turismo Centro corroborate the regional identity while also showing that family formulas differ.
- Yields
- Yield not stated; formula starts with 3 kg peeled pumpkin
- Prep
- Overnight draining, plus preparation
- Cook
- Not stated by the source
Ingredients
- 3 kg / 6.6 lb Peeled menina pumpkin, cubed
- 2 strips Lemon peel
- 2 strips Orange peel
- 2 Cinnamon sticks
- 300 g / 10.6 oz Sugar for the batter
- 250 g / 8.8 oz Wheat flour
- 4 Eggs, separated
- A few grains; quantity not stated Salt
- A little; quantity not stated Water for boiling
- Quantity not stated Oil for frying
- Quantities not stated Sugar and ground cinnamon for dusting
Method
Place the pumpkin in a pan with a little water, salt, the two strips of lemon peel, two of orange peel and two cinnamon sticks. Cook until the pumpkin breaks down.
Remove the peels and cinnamon sticks. Place the pumpkin in a cloth bag and drain overnight, squeezing out excess water.
Mix the drained pumpkin with the 300 g sugar and four yolks.
Whisk the four whites to stiff peaks. Fold them into the pumpkin, alternating with the 250 g flour.
Use two spoons to shape small quenelles like pastéis de bacalhau.
Fry in very hot oil. Transfer to absorbent paper.
Arrange on a platter and dust with sugar and cinnamon.
Sources for this recipe
The quantities and method were checked against the references below. Family recipes may vary; where no single official formula exists, we present a representative practical version and say so plainly.
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