Sardinhas Doces da Nazaré — Felícia Sampaio's Version
This is the version published by Felícia Sampaio in Roteiro Gastronómico de Portugal: tender pastry made with flour, butter and lard encloses a yolk-and-gila filling and is cut into a sardine shape. Nazaré sources also describe the speciality as puff pastry with egg cream; that divergence is preserved. This formula documents one workable version, not a single specification followed by every pastry shop in town.
- Yields
- Yield not stated
- Prep
- Preparation time not stated; the filling must cool before assembly
- Cook
- Oven temperature and baking time not stated
Ingredients
- 500 g / 17.6 oz Wheat flour for the pastry
- 200 g / 7.1 oz Butter for the pastry
- 50 g / 1.8 oz Lard for the pastry
- 1 pinch Salt
- as needed; quantity not stated Water for binding the pastry
- 8 Egg yolks for the filling
- 2 teacups; sugar and water proportions not stated Sugar syrup at espadana stage
- 1 teacup Gila squash preserve, drained
- as needed Icing sugar for finishing
Method
Make the filling first. Pour the two teacups of syrup at espadana stage in a thin stream over the eight yolks, stirring continuously.
Put the yolk-and-syrup mixture over the heat. When it begins to thicken, add the teacup of drained gila preserve; bring it back to the boil, remove from the heat and cool completely.
For the pastry, combine the 200 g butter and 50 g lard. Add the fats to the 500 g flour with the pinch of salt, then add only enough water to produce a tender pastry. The source gives neither a water quantity nor kneading or resting time.
Roll the pastry without making it too thin and divide it into two similarly sized sheets.
Place small spoonfuls of cold filling, well spaced, over one sheet. Cover with the second sheet and press the pastry around each portion to remove air pockets and seal the edges.
Using a pastry wheel or mould, cut each portion into a sardine shape and transfer it to a baking tray. The source does not state whether the tray should be greased or lined.
Bake until cooked. The published recipe gives no temperature, duration or visual test for doneness, so those details are not invented here.
Once baked, coat the sardines in icing sugar and serve.
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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