As you look across Portuguese tables, it’s impossible not to notice the clay baking dishes. A heritage of millennia-old traditions, they’re still widely used today in home cooking and in taverns throughout the country.
Their secret? Gentle, even heat that respects the ingredients’ flavors and elevates everything from meat and fish to vegetables and even desserts. Clay—being a natural, breathable material—retains heat for a long time, so dishes arrive at the table piping hot and perfect for sharing.
Beyond their practical benefits, clay dishes also carry a cultural and aesthetic dimension: each piece, often handmade, reflects the authenticity and craftsmanship of Portugal. They transform a simple meal into a warm experience where flavor meets tradition.
That’s why some of Portugal’s most typical recipes—from creamy baked cod to feijoada, duck rice and roasted octopus—truly come into their own when prepared and served in these rustic, elegant dishes.
Here are a few classic Portuguese recipes that are at their best when made in a clay baking dish.
Bacalhau com Natas (Creamy Cod Casserole)
In Portugal there’s a saying that you can cook bacalhau 365 different ways—one for each day of the year. Among them, Bacalhau com Natas is one of the most beloved. Unlike other cod dishes rooted in fishermen’s fare, this one is a bit more refined, showing the influence of 19th-century bourgeois cuisine, where cream and béchamel enriched traditional recipes.
It’s a generous, crowd-pleasing dish for family meals or Lisbon taverns, always served in a large clay baking dish that keeps the heat to the very last spoonful.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 800 g desalted cod (bacalhau)
- 1.2 kg potatoes
- 2 large onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 60 g butter
- 60 g flour
- 750 ml milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt, pepper
- Breadcrumbs (optional, for a golden crust)
Method
Prep the cod
- Desalt the cod for 24–36 hours in cold water, changing the water several times.
- Poach it in a pot of simmering water with a bay leaf for 10 minutes. Drain, let cool slightly, then remove skin and bones. Flake coarsely.
Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes.
- Lightly fry until just golden (they shouldn’t be fully crisp).
- Drain on paper towels.
Onion & garlic
- In a skillet, gently sauté sliced onions and chopped garlic in olive oil until soft.
Enriched béchamel
- Melt the butter, add flour and stir. Gradually whisk in hot milk to avoid lumps.
- Add heavy cream, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper. The sauce should be silky.
Assemble
- In a large clay baking dish, combine flaked cod, potatoes and the onion-garlic mixture.
- Pour the cream béchamel over and fold gently.
- Optional: sprinkle with breadcrumbs for a golden gratin.
Bake
- Bake at 200°C (about 390°F) for 25–30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.
Serving
- Serve straight from the clay dish, still steaming. It pairs beautifully with a crisp green salad and a glass of Portuguese white wine (Vinho Verde or Dão).
Arroz de Pato (Duck Rice)
Arroz de Pato is a hallmark of Portuguese cuisine from the north, especially Minho and the city of Braga. Often called a “celebration dish,” it brings together rich confit duck, smoky chouriço and aromatic rice cooked in the meat broth.
Traditionally made for family gatherings and Sundays, it’s always served in a clay baking dish to keep the heat and that rustic character. Fun fact: students in Coimbra like to say it’s the dish that brings everyone together—generous, comforting and perfect for sharing around a big table.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 whole duck (about 1.5–2 kg)
- 500 g long-grain Portuguese rice (Carolino type)
- 2 Portuguese chouriços (one for the broth, one for the top)
- 150 g smoked bacon
- 2 carrots
- 2 onions
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 clove
- 1 glass dry white wine
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper
Method
Cook the duck
- In a large pot, add the whole duck, one onion studded with the clove, carrots, one bay leaf and one chouriço.
- Cover with water, season with salt and pepper and simmer about 1½ hours, until the meat comes away easily.
- Remove the duck, shred the meat and reserve. Strain the broth and keep it to cook the rice.
Rice
- In a saucepan, sauté the remaining onion and chopped garlic in a little olive oil.
- Add the rice, toast 2 minutes, then deglaze with white wine.
- Add twice the rice’s volume of duck broth. Cook gently until absorbed (the rice should remain slightly moist).
Assemble
- In a large clay dish, spread a first layer of rice, then the shredded duck and diced bacon.
- Cover with a second layer of rice.
- Decorate the top with slices of the second chouriço.
Final bake
- Bake at 200°C (about 390°F) for 20–25 minutes, until the surface is golden and lightly crisp.
Serving
- Serve piping hot with a green salad or Portuguese greens lightly sautéed with garlic. A full-bodied Douro or Alentejo red pairs perfectly with this generous dish.
Feijoada à Portuguesa (Portuguese Bean Stew)
Feijoada is one of Portugal’s most popular dishes and a true symbol of conviviality. Every region has its own version, but they all share the same base: slow-cooked beans with pork cuts and smoked sausages.
Its origins go back to the countryside, where nothing was wasted: humble pork cuts were simmered long and slow with beans to make a nourishing, flavorful meal. Feijoada is often a Sunday or family-gathering dish, always served in a big clay pot or dish that keeps it hot and highlights its rustic, generous character.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 500 g dried red beans (or 2 cans cooked beans)
- 400 g pork belly (or fresh bacon)
- 400 g pork ribs
- 200 g pig’s ear (optional but traditional)
- 1 Portuguese chouriço
- 1 farinheira (Portuguese flour sausage)
- 1 morcela (Portuguese blood sausage)
- 2 onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 ripe tomatoes (or 1 can crushed tomatoes)
- 2 carrots
- 1 small glass white wine
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper, sweet paprika
Method
Prep the beans
- Soak dried beans overnight in cold water.
- Drain, then cook in a large pot with a bay leaf until tender (about 1 hour). Reserve with a bit of cooking liquid.
Cook the meats
- In a large pot, brown the pork belly, ribs and pig’s ear in a little olive oil.
- Add sliced carrots, chopped onions, crushed garlic and tomatoes.
- Deglaze with white wine and simmer 10 minutes.
Add the sausages
- Add the whole chouriço and farinheira (they’ll perfume the broth without breaking apart).
- Add a little hot water and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes.
Finish the feijoada
- Stir in the cooked beans with some of their cooking liquid.
- Add the morcela toward the end so it doesn’t fall apart.
- Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper, paprika).
- Simmer gently 15 minutes more to meld the flavors.
Serving
- Serve feijoada directly in a steaming clay dish, with white rice and Portuguese greens (couve-galega) sautéed with garlic. It’s a rich, comforting dish to share with family and friends, ideally with a bold red from Alentejo or Douro.
Carne de Porco à Alentejana (Pork with Clams)
Carne de Porco à Alentejana is a true Portuguese gem. From Alentejo—a vast southern region known for golden plains, Iberian pork (porco preto) and generous wines—this dish captures the Portuguese spirit: bringing land and sea together on one plate.
Tradition says the surprising combo was born from trade with sailors, who brought fresh clams from the coast to cook with inland-raised pork. Today it’s one of the most popular dishes in Portugal’s seafood restaurants, always served in a large clay dish that showcases its colors and keeps it hot.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1.2 kg pork shoulder, cut into cubes
- 1 kg fresh clams (amêijoas)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1.2 kg potatoes (for cubed fries)
- 100 ml olive oil
- Salt, pepper
Method
Marinate the meat
- In a bowl, combine pork cubes with white wine, crushed garlic, paprika, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
- Marinate chilled for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).
Prep the clams
- Soak in salted water for 2 hours to purge sand.
- Rinse well before cooking.
Cook the meat
- Drain pork from the marinade.
- Heat olive oil in a deep clay dish or Dutch oven; brown the meat on all sides.
- Add chopped onion and cook 5 minutes.
Add the clams
- Add clams, pour in a little marinade and cover.
- Cook over high heat 5–7 minutes until the shells open.
Fry the potatoes
- Cut into cubes and fry separately until golden.
- Drain on paper towels and salt.
Assemble
- Add the fried potatoes to the pork and clams.
- Toss gently.
- Shower with plenty of chopped fresh cilantro before serving.
Tasting
- Enjoy Carne de Porco à Alentejana straight from its clay dish, hot and fragrant. It’s a generous, shareable classic that embodies Portuguese conviviality. Pair with a chilled white from Alentejo or a lightly sparkling Vinho Verde.
From cod bakes to family gratins, from duck rice to pork stews—and emblematic dishes like Feijoada or Carne de Porco à Alentejana—clay bakeware is far more than a simple utensil: it’s the secret to authentic Portuguese cooking. It holds heat, amplifies flavor and brings rustic warmth to every meal.
If you want to cook like in Portugal and bring that authentic flavor home, explore our range of traditional clay bakeware, handmade in Portugal. From small casseroles to large family dishes, each piece is unique, made to last—and to elevate your favorite Portuguese recipes.