Tag Archives: Portuguese

Lemon-Garlic Rice with Sausage and Kale

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Hailing from Milk Street, this flavorful meal-in-a-pot was inspired by Portuguese arroz de grelos com farinheira, a comforting combination of garlicky rice cooked with turnip greens and sausage. This version uses supple lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale) instead of turnip greens.

Linguiça calabresa is Calabrian chili-seasoned smoke-cured pork sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika, popular in the countries of Portugal and Brazil, that typically is sold already cooked or smoked. If it’s not available (which it was not in our case), or if you prefer to use a sausage without any spice, kielbasa is a fine substitute.

Don’t forget to let the rice cook until dry after it’s added to the pot. This evaporates any water left from rinsing the grains. Also, when simmering is complete, be sure to allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes to allow the rice to finish cooking and the ingredients to absorb moisture.

Lemon-Garlic Rice with Sausage and Kale

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  •   Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. linguiça or kielbasa sausage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾-1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1 medium bunch lacinato kale (about 12 oz.), stemmed and chopped into rough 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
  2. Add the sausage, garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until sizzling and dry, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the kale a handful at a time, stirring until wilted after each addition.
  4. Stir in 2¼ cups water and ½ teaspoon black pepper, then bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce to low and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice mixture with a fork.
  6. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey

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These addictive fig bites from Fat Rice chef Abraham Conlon are very simple, so it’s crucial to use the best ingredients, from true Spanish ham to ripe, juicy figs, crunchy marcona almonds (a fave of mine) and best-quality olive oil.

Unable to source jamón ibérico or serrano, we had to resort to prosciutto. And the original recipe indicated a whole almond should be place on top as a finish. But we decided that was not practical. How would the nut stay adhered to the piece? Instead, we placed the almond on top of the goat cheese, then wrapped each piece in a slice of the prosciutto with a mint leaf as garnish.

Or better yet, crush the almonds and mix them into the goat cheese mixture. Quite a decadent little bite!

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey

  • Servings: 16 pieces
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 8 fresh figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup ruby port
  • Black pepper
  • 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced dry-cured ham, such as jamón ibérico, serrano or prosciutto torn into 16 long strips
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 16 Marcona almonds, lightly crushed
  • Small mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. Arrange the figs cut side up on a plate. Drizzle with the port and season with black pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a fork, blend the goat cheese with the honey, scallion, crushed almonds and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
  3. Dollop small spoonfuls of the goat cheese on the fig halves. Wrap each cheese-topped fig half in a strip of ham and transfer to a platter. Drizzle the figs with olive oil, top with the mint and sea salt and serve.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Abraham Conlon for Food and Wine

Portuguese Salad

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In a sense, this salad is glorified gazpacho, but chunkier—and it paired wonderfully with our Cataplana (Portugal’s Simple Seafood Stew) entrée. As it only feeds 3 to 4, we doubled the amounts to feed the party of 6.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, our gas oven broiler doesn’t do the best job. When I walked into the kitchen and saw The Hubs down on his knees with his arm stuck into the oven rotating the peppers with tongs, I gently told him that it might be much easier to char them directly over a gas burner. Smart man that he is, he took the hint, because when I walked back in, he was searing the plum tomatoes, two at a time, directly on the grates.

When it comes to hosting, we like to do as much as possible the day prior to the event. For this side dish, he blackened and peeled the tomatoes and bell peppers, then salted the peeled cucumber slices. About half an hour before the feast was served, the salad was finished with the dressing.

Portuguese Salad

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 3 plum tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cucumber, peeled
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp. chili paste
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  1. Turn the broiler on, and set the red and green bell peppers underneath. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly blackened on all sides. When done, place in a small plastic bag and let steam for a few minutes. Repeat with the tomatoes, but first lightly coat in olive oil. They will cook much quicker. Remove when lightly blackened all over and let cool on a tray.
  2. While the bell peppers and tomatoes cool, slice the cucumber into 1/2 inch inch thick slices. Set on a rack or on a paper towel, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let those hang out for 20 minutes or so until they release some water. Dry with paper towels.
  3. Remove the bell peppers from the plastic bags when cooled. Peel off the skin, remove the stems, and chop into 1-inch squares. Repeat this process with the tomatoes, discarding most of the pulp.
  4. Toss the chopped bell peppers, tomato, and cucumbers in a large bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and chili paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat right away, or let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes for the flavors to really marry.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe on Serious Eats by Nick Kindelsperger

Portuguese Wine-Braised Potatoes with Garlic, Bay and Chilies

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Salivating for some fabulous potatoes with a lot of flavor? Look no further than these Portuguese Wine-Braised Potatoes with Garlic, Bay and Chilies that we first spotted in a recent issue of Milk Street magazine. Paired with another of their recipes of Madeiran Pork with Wine and Garlic, and some Fresh Peas with Lemon & Chives, it was a dinner to remember!

The traditional way of cooking potatoes with these classic Portuguese flavors is to slow-roast them in the oven or long-braise them on the stovetop alongside meat. But in “Authentic Portuguese Cooking,” author Ana Patuleia Ortins includes a quicker, meat-free version that yields a wonderfully delicious side.

Milk Street adapted her recipe, opting to use a mixture of wine and chicken broth for simmering (wine alone tends to toughen the exteriors of the potatoes) and substituting jarred crushed peppers—the type often smeared onto Italian hoagies—for the spicy Portuguese red pepper paste called massa de malagueta. If you cannot find crushed peppers, simply use ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes instead.

In Portugal it’s known as “batatas cozidas em vinho e alhos” and varies by region and family, but the heart of the recipe is consistent: potatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil. First the onions and garlic are cooked until jammy-sweet, then the potatoes are added and simmered in white wine to add wonderful acidity to balance the starchiness.

“The thing that people don’t understand about Portuguese cooking is that it’s flexible. The way they say it, it’s ‘com gusto.’ It’s how you like it.”

Patuleia Ortins

We knew it was going to be a winner so we increased the recipe by 50% right off the bat. And although the directions indicate it takes about 30 minutes for the potatoes to meet no resistance when pierced with a knife, ours took an additional 20 minutes—therefore be prepared to add extra time if needed.

Tip: Don’t stir the potatoes too vigorously or they’ll break apart and make the sauce gluey. Aim to keep the large pieces of potato as whole as possible. Also, don’t reduce the sauce too far; as the potatoes sit off heat, they’ll continue to absorb the sauce.

Portuguese Wine-Braised Potatoes with Garlic, Bay and Chilies

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. Yukon Gold or red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1- to 1½-inch chunks
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1½ tsp. jarred crushed peppers or ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1¼ tsp. smoked paprika
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • ¾ cup chicken broth, preferably homemade
  • ¼ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the garlic, bay, crushed peppers, paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until fully softened, 7 to 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the potato mixture, then add the wine and broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then cover, reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the potatoes meets no resistance, about 30 minutes.
  4. Uncover and cook over medium, now stirring more often and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, until the liquid has thickened and lightly coats the potatoes, about 7 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay and stir in the parsley. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.

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Adapted from recipe by Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Madeiran Pork with Wine and Garlic

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From a recent issue of Milk Street, we found out that Carne Vinha D’alhos, or pork with wine and garlic, is a traditional Christmas dish from the Portuguese island of Madeira and the precursor to the spicy Indian curry called vindaloo.

To make it, chunks of pork are marinated in a heady mixture of wine, vinegar, garlic and herbs for up to a few days before they’re cooked until tender. This version of Madeiran Pork with Wine and Garlic was streamlined using pork shoulder instead of leaner pork loin, and the meat can marinate anywhere from 1 to 48 hours. (Ours marinated for 24 hours.)

Pork shoulder is a cut that requires lengthy cooking to become tender, so this oven-braised for about 1½ hours. Next, you brown the meat after simmering to develop a rich, flavorful caramelization. The marinade is then reduced to a light glaze, and the pork is finished by coating it with the reduction.

In Madeira, the pork typically is piled onto crusty rolls to make sandwiches, but we paired ours with another recipe from Milk Street: Portuguese Wine-Braised Potatoes with Garlic and Chiles where a mixture of wine and chicken broth are used for simmering the spuds to render them soft and tender.

After simmering the pork, be sure to drain the pieces on a rack as directed. This helps ensure nice caramelization when the pork is browned in the skillet. Finally, when skimming the fat off the braising liquid, be sure to reserve it for browning the pork.

Tip: Don’t use an uncoated cast-iron Dutch oven. Enamel-coated cast-iron is fine, but in an uncoated cast-iron pot—even in one that is well seasoned—the acidity of the marinade may react with the iron, producing metallic “off” flavors. A stainless steel cooking surface is fine, too, but avoid aluminum unless it has been treated to make it nonreactive.

Madeiran Pork with Wine and Garlic

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 5 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1- to 1½-inch chunks
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 10 bay leaves
  • 6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 6 whole cloves (optional)
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 cup Madeira wine
  • ¼ cup minced fresh oregano

Directions

  1. In a large Dutch oven, stir together the pork, wine, vinegar, bay, garlic, dried oregano, pepper flakes, cloves (if using) and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 48 hours.
  2. When you are ready to cook the pork, heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Set the pot, uncovered, over medium-high and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Re-cover, transfer to the oven and cook until a skewer inserted into the pork meets just a little resistance, about 1½ hours, stirring once about halfway through.
  3. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork and garlic to the rack, removing and discarding the bay and cloves (if used); set aside. Tilt the pot to pool the cooking liquid to one side, then use a wide spoon to skim off as much fat as possible; reserve the fat. Or use a fat separator.
  4. Add the Madeira to the pot, bring to a boil over medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced to about 1 cup, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside. (We ended up with a LOT of liquid, so it took twice as long to reduce.) Remove and discard any large bits of fat on the exterior of the pieces of pork.
  5. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved pork fat until barely smoking. Add the pork and cook, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
  6. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the reduced cooking liquid. Return to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the pork is lightly glazed and begins to sizzle, 3 to 5 minutes.
  7. Taste and season with salt and black pepper, then stir in the fresh oregano. Transfer to a serving dish.

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Recipe by Diane Unger for Milk Street