Monchique Bolo de Tacho — A Charrete Restaurant Recipe
Monchique's A Charrete restaurant supplied this large two-day formula to “Recipes and Flavours of Rural Territories”. DGADR and Portugal's national intangible-heritage inventory confirm the scalded cornmeal technique, resting, pot baking and variation among families. This is an attributed version—with anise liqueur or aguardente, cocoa and chocolate—not a single canonical recipe.
- Yields
- Several large cakes; yield depends on the pots
- Prep
- Two days, including an overnight rest
- Cook
- About 2 hr
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg / 3 lb 8.4 oz Cornmeal
- 20 g / 0.7 oz Whole aniseed
- 50 g / 1.8 oz Ground aniseed
- 2 cups Strong coffee
- 4 Strips of lemon peel
- 1 glass Anise liqueur or aguardente
- 250 g / 8.8 oz Lard or margarine
- 2 tbsp Wheat flour
- 1 scant tbsp Salt
- 250 ml / 8.5 fl oz Olive oil
- 50 g / 1.8 oz Cocoa powder
- 50 g / 1.8 oz Chocolate
- 50 g / 1.8 oz Ground cinnamon
- 500 g / 1 lb 1.6 oz Honey
- 1.25 kg / 2 lb 12.1 oz Sugar
- as needed Lard and olive oil for greasing
Method
The day before baking, make an infusion with the whole aniseed and lemon peel.
Use part of the infusion and the strong coffee to scald the cornmeal.
Add the honey, lard or margarine, sugar and olive oil and mix thoroughly.
Leave the mixture to rest overnight.
The next day, add the remaining infusion, ground aniseed, anise liqueur or aguardente, wheat flour, salt, cocoa, chocolate and cinnamon.
Mix to a soft batter, adjusting only with the infusion already included in the formula.
Grease baking pots with lard and a little olive oil and divide the batter among them.
Bake in a very hot oven for about two hours.
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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