Delicately crunchy on the outside, with creamy melt-in-your-mouth flavour on the inside, rissóis are a favourite snack in Goa
Gomantak Times
A rissole (from Latin russeolus, meaning ‘reddish’, via French in which rissoler means ‘to redden’) is a small patty enclosed in pastry, or rolled in breadcrumbs. It is usually baked or deep fried and has a savoury filling — minced meat, fish or cheese — and is served as an entrée, main course or side dish.
RISSOLES IN PORTUGAL
In Portugal, rissoles are known as rissóis and are a very popular snack in cafés, at house parties, receptions, birthdays and christening parties.
In Portugal, rissóis are a breaded pastry, in the shape of a half-moon. They are usually filled with meat or shrimp in béchamel sauce, and then deep fried. The most common fillings are shrimp or meat (pork or beef), although tuna, octopus, vegetables, cod, duck, cockle and spinach are sometimes used, too. Other less common variations include chicken, a combination of cheese (generally queijo Flamengo ie Flemish cheese), pork ham and lobster.
Rissóis are usually eaten cold, as a snack or as an appetizer, but can also be a main course, usually served with salad or rice (such as peas rice, tomato rice, carrot rice, beans rice or greens rice).
When filled with shrimp, they are called rissóis de camarão, while rissóis de bacalhau have a filling of cod, and rissóis de carne have a minced meat filling.
Rissoles from Indonesia (left) and France (right) are different from those made in Goa
Gomantak Times
RISSOLES AROUND THE WORLD
Portuguese cuisine was influenced by its colonies, and their spices, and reciprocally, it left its mark in these countries. Rissóis can, therefore, be found in Angola, Brazil, Mozambique and Goa.
Preparations called rissoles are popular in many countries. They are variants of Portuguese fritters, although the majority do not exactly look like them.
In Ireland and the UK, rissoles are quite common. They are fried, stuffed with potatoes, herbs and spices or ground meat, and usually served with French fries.
In Indonesia, risoles are popular in night markets. They are thin breaded crêpes (stuffed with vegetables, chicken and béchamel), shaped into rolls and fried. And, spiced with hot pepper!
Australians and New Zealanders also eat rissoles, but sans the dough. Their rissoles are ground meat patties, covered with breadcrumbs, then pan-seared or sometimes grilled on a barbecue, similar to Hamburg steak and Salisbury steak.
In France, rissoles are served as a dessert, and look like small pear-filled puff pastry turnovers, that are baked.
RISSÓIS IN GOA
In Goa, rissoles with a prawn filling are very popular. Called rissóis de Camarão, they are crescent-shaped, with prawns/shrimp cooked in a creamy béchamel sauce. They are finally dipped in egg, coated with breadcrumbs and then fried.
This Portuguese-influenced shrimp snack is a very popular appetizer in Goa, and is served at weddings, parties, litanies and more.
The traditional filling is shrimp, but other fillings such as chicken, minced beef, fish or a vegetarian are also used on occasion.
WHERE YOU'LL FIND RISSÓIS DE CAMARÃO:
Pastry Cottage, Panjim: +91 7276751098
Luizinha Stores, Mapusa: +91 9823438751
Dom Pedro, Margao: +91 832 2713251
