Broa de milho
Across the green hills of the Minho, broa was once baked weekly in a wood oven shared by the village, and a wedge of it still sits beside every bowl of caldo verde and every plate of grilled sardines. The crumb is yellow, close and slightly sweet from the maize, with a thick crust that splits as it bakes. Scalding the cornmeal with boiling water first is what gives it that moist, almost cake-like bite. A common mistake is slicing the loaf hot, while the crumb is still gummy; let it cool for at least an hour. Chef's tip: leave the loaf on a rack for at least two hours before slicing, because cutting it hot leaves the inside gummy.






