Portuguese Egg Sweet from the Ritz Hotel
3.8
(2)
(Sericaia à la Ritz)
Editor's note: This recipe is adapted from Jean Anderson. Anderson also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
To read more about Anderson and Portuguese cuisine, click here.
The recipe for this unusually light Portuguese "egg sweet" is adapted from the Varanda Restaurant of the Ritz Four Seasons Hotel in Lisbon. At the restaurant, an ice cream made from ameixas d'Elvas (sugarplums from the city of Elvas near the Spanish border) is scooped alongside. However, the sericaia is equally delicious served plain.
•The Portuguese love of sweets dates back to colonial days, when sugarcane was cultivated in Brazil and on the island of Madeira. Portugal boasts numerous incredibly rich egg-yolk desserts, such as toucinho do céu, which literally means "bacon from heaven." Sericaia, while also traditional, is lighter, due to the inclusion of egg whites along with the yolks. It has gained popularity in recent years among diners looking for less-heavy ways to satisfy their sweet teeth.
•"The key to this recipe is to avoid overbeating the egg whites," says Anderson. "Once you've added the sugar, beat them to the soft-peak stage — when the beater is lifted, the whites should form peaks, then slowly flop over. You want them to flow from the bowl, rather than slide out in one Styrofoam-like lump."
