Traditional Portuguese Dishes
Discover how to prepare Tiborna, a typical Portuguese recipe
The Portuguese tiborna transforms rustic bread slices into a golden, crispy, and aromatic appetizer. You only need garlic, olive oil, parsley, and olives to enjoy a traditional, simple, economical, and full-of-flavor recipe.
This Portuguese tiborna is ideal as an appetizer, accompaniment to a soup, or snack to share. The secret lies in toasting the bread well, rubbing it with garlic when it's still hot, and adding the oil at the end to preserve all its aroma.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓4 thick slices of Portuguese rustic bread or bread loaf, about 2 centimeters thick
- ✓2 cloves of garlic
- ✓6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of fine salt
- ✓1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- ✓1 tablespoon of fresh parsley chopped
- ✓4 Portuguese black olives or kalamata type
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Leave the bread out of the bag for a few minutes to let it settle...
Leave the bread out of the bag for a few minutes to let it settle slightly and toast better.
- 02
Peel the two cloves of garlic
Peel the two cloves of garlic. Reserve one whole for rubbing on the bread and finely chop the other.
- 03
Put the chopped garlic in a bowl and mix it with 4 tablespoons of olive...
Put the chopped garlic in a bowl and mix it with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture rest while toasting the bread.
- 04
Heat a griddle, a large skillet, or a grill over medium heat, without...
Heat a griddle, a large skillet, or a grill over medium heat, without adding oil to the surface.
- 05
Place the four slices and toast them for about 3 or 4 minutes on each...
Place the four slices and toast them for about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until they are golden and have a firm crust, without burning.
- 06
As an alternative, bake the bread at 200 °C for about 8 minutes, turning...
As an alternative, bake the bread at 200 °C for about 8 minutes, turning it halfway through the cooking time.
- 07
When the bread is hot, gently rub each slice on one side with the whole...
When the bread is hot, gently rub each slice on one side with the whole clove of garlic reserved.
- 08
Distribute the mixture of oil, garlic, salt, and pepper over the slices...
Distribute the mixture of oil, garlic, salt, and pepper over the slices with a spoon, making sure the oil and garlic are evenly distributed.
- 09
Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the tibornas
Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the tibornas.
- 10
Place a black olive on each slice and serve immediately, while the...
Place a black olive on each slice and serve immediately, while the bread is hot and the oil preserves its aroma.
- Toast the bread until it's golden and crispy, but avoid it getting too dark because it could become bitter.
- Use a bread loaf with a firm crust and irregular crumb; avoid molded bread.
- Rub the garlic gently so it perfumes the bread without dominating the other flavors.
- Add the oil slowly, especially if the bread is very porous, to maintain a crispy texture.
- Don't heat the oil until it smokes: the tiborna is finished with raw and fragrant olive oil.
- If you're preparing the recipe for a gathering, you can toast the bread in advance, but add the garlic and oil just before serving.
- The tiborna can be accompanied by a vegetable soup or cured cheese, although this version keeps the bread, garlic, and oil as the main ingredients.