Chamuça: the most ordered side
Of all the sides on the menu, the chamuça is the one that sells most, by a wide margin. It costs €1.50, and it is rare for an order at the counter not to include at least one.
It is also the easiest thing to ruin, because it depends almost entirely on the temperature of the oil.
It all comes down to the oil
A chamuça is fried at a high, steady temperature. If the oil cools, the pastry absorbs fat instead of sealing, and the result is heavy and greasy.
That is why we fry them in small batches, several times, rather than filling the fryer at once. It takes longer, but it is the only way to get the pastry crisp outside and the filling hot inside.
Which sauce
We serve them with garlic sauce, at €0.50, which is what most customers add to the order. It works better than ketchup, because the acidity cuts through the fat of the fry instead of covering it.
When to order one
Along with the chips and the Tiras de Frango Crispy, it is what sells most in the afternoon, between 16:00 and 18:00. At that hour it goes straight from the fryer to the counter.
It comes out very hot. Give it a minute before the first bite: that advice comes from experience, and not all of it ours.
NOVO ZAK'S KEBAB
Póvoa de Santa IriaDoner kebab restaurant on Av. Ernest Solvay 3. Open every day from 11:00 to 23:00, with eat in, take away and delivery. Call +351 920 157 462.