Consider the old-school terracotta roaster an optional flourish for this lavish Iberian roast.

By Joana Santiago | Published May 8, 2022 11:21 PM

Foda à moda de Monção is a traditional dish from Portugal’s Vinho Verde region. This recipe, adapted from one shared with us by local winemaker Joana Santiago, was originally cooked in a wood-fired oven, then finished and served in a terra cotta “torto” roaster. The oblong pot is conveniently shaped in such a way that the leg rests directly over the rice, allowing heat to circulate all around it while still letting its flavorful juices drip into the saffron-scented rice below. (These inexpensive and attractive roasters are available online from Portugalia Marketplace.) 

For those of us restricted to modern stoves, our recipe testers also found that starting the meat in a Dutch oven, then finishing it on a wire rack positioned over a roasting pan got them pretty darned close to the classic, wood-fired version. For wine, Santiago suggests forgoing the expected reds and instead serving this fragrant and celebratory meat dish with a full-bodied and lightly oaked white alvarinho, such as her own Quinta de Santiago “SOU.”

Featured in: “In Portugal’s Vinho Verde, Wine Is Green in More Ways Than One.”

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