Alheira de Caça is a sausage made of game meat and bread with spices like smoked paprika. They cold smoke the sausage, giving it a very smoky taste.
The idea of Alheira comes from the Jews, who used to hide their identity by making sausages that looked and were as fatty as the ubiquitous and traditional Portuguese pork sausage.These days Alheira, with its strong, smoky taste, can be chopped up and added to bland foods like mashed potatoes to "kick them up a notch" like the chef says. But a sausage and some greens sauteed in olive oil makes a fine starter--or even a wnole meal if you haven't walked up hills all day.
The Alheira de Caça was wonderful at the Vallecula Restaurant in Barreiros. Here is a picture of the restaurant.
