SweetloreEncyclopedia of World Sweets (534）
Encharcada
Encharcada
Ingredients and Method of Encharcada
Desserts ／ Portugal, Alentejo
Encharcada is a sweet of eggs and sugar handed down in Portugal’s Alentejo region. Beaten eggs are poured into hot sugar syrup, and the softly set folds are arranged on a plate. Rather than holding its shape like a baked sweet, it consists of yellow, syrup-soaked pieces that are scooped up with a spoon.
Pouring eggs into hot syrup
In the method presented by António Nobre, a chef in Évora, sugar and water are boiled down to the pearl stage, and beaten eggs are poured through a mesh strainer in a circular motion. This chef combines 18 egg yolks with 4 whole eggs, so it cannot be assumed that the sweet is made with yolks alone. The eggs coagulate in the hot liquid, forming fine folds and irregular lumps. They are cooked without being broken up too much and transferred to a dish; the surface is then browned in the oven and sprinkled with cinnamon. The soft finish varies with how the eggs are handled and how far the syrup is reduced.
In a method presented in another cookbook, the eggs are cooked while a spatula is inserted from the edge of the pan toward the center so that they do not stick to the surface. When the eggs are taken out, a little of the syrup is left with them; they are arranged in a deep dish, and only the surface is browned in a hot oven. The soft interior soaked in sweet liquid can be enjoyed together with the toasty surface.
An egg sweet of Évora
Pão de rala, described as a convent sweet from the same region, wraps a sweet egg filling in almond dough. Encharcada has no wrapping; its distinctive feature is that the eggs are set directly in the syrup. Whether the surface is browned and whether cinnamon is sprinkled on top vary by method.
The city of Évora presents this sweet, together with the name of the Convent of Santa Clara, as one of the local sweets alongside Sericaia, pão de rala and others. While a connection to the convent has been handed down, no reliable record has come to light showing when the sweet originated. It is a local egg sweet that can still be enjoyed today at pastry shops and eateries.
Glossary
- António Nobre
- A chef in Évora who has presented methods for making egg sweets.
- Sugar syrup
- A liquid made by dissolving sugar in water and boiling it. In encharcada, it is also used to cook the eggs.
- Convent sweets
- Sweets with traditions linked to convents. In Portugal, sweets made with plenty of eggs and sugar are well known.
