Ethnic: A Portuguese dinner for six. by Recipe Cottage

SEARCH RECIPES:

LOCATION: Recipes >> Ethnic >> A Portuguese dinner for six.


	A Portuguese dinner for six.

		Menu lots of crusty bread starters: anchovy butter, cured ham (like prosciutto) soup: Garlic Bread Pudding starter: Iscas com Elas (liver with potatoes) main course either: Grilled Fish or: Porco a Alentejana with: boiled or fried potatoes and/or: rice and: side vegetable (Sauteed Spring Greens) salad fruit ~~~~~~~~~ Garlic Bread Pudding (actually a traditional dry soup) 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 Tb olive oil 1 Tb paprika 600 ml boiling water or light broth salt & pepper 400 g stale bread, in 1 inch cubes 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tb water Fry garlic in oil til golden. Add paprika and boiling water, salt & pepper. Place in an ovenproof dish. Add the bread, press it in to soak well, and cover the top with the beaten egg. Bake on the middle shelf of a preheated oven - 375F. until golden bown, 20-25 mins. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Iscas com Elas (Liver with Them) Marinade: 1 Tb wine vinegar 3 Tb white wine 1 bay leaf salt & pepper 400g (14 oz) pig's liver, thinly sliced 90g (3 oz) spleen - well scraped, using only the pulp (I omit this, adding a 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water at the end) 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 oz lard (I use a little butter or olive oil) boiled potatoes (figure 3-4 small red potatoes per person) Marinate the liver 4-5 hours. In a large frying pan melt the lard & cook the liver with a little marinade. Simmer on both sides over low heat until the liver darkens, but not longer than 10 minutes, as it tends to harden. Remove from the pan, set aside & keep warm. Mix the spleen pulp in the juices left in the pan & add the strained marinade. Cook gently 10 minutes to thicken. (Instead, I add the marinade to pan & deglaze, boiling briskly for 10 mins,then add cornstarch mixture for a few minutes to thicken.) Return the liver to the sauce & reheat gently 2-3 mins. Taste for seasoning & serve with hot boiled potatoes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Portuguese Grilled Fish One mullet pulled directly from the sea per person. Ok, the freshest red or grey mullet, red snapper, sardine, grouper, sea bass, or any sweet white-fleshed fish available. Gutted & cleaned, with head & tail intact. Generously sprinkle sea salt or coarse kosher salt all over the fish. Rub it in with enough strong olive oil to coat. Sprinkle on a little chopped coriander. Leave to marinate at least 30 minutes (i.e. cover & chill). Prepare a very hot charcoal grill. Bring the fish to room temperature. Grill the fish on both sides until done, basting with a little marinade. Serve with more chopped coriander sprinkled on top. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Porco a Alentejana Marinade: 300 ml white wine 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp paprika 1 clove 1 bay leaf salt & pepper 450 g loin of pork, cut into 1 inch cubes 450 g leg of pork cut the same way 110 g lard (or 2-4 Tb butter) 1 tsp concentrated tomato paste (or 1 sun-dried tomato, soaked, mashed) 2 Tb olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 sprigs parsley, chopped 675 g (1 1/2 lb) cockles (Long Island littleneck clams are best, but any small clams will do) Marinate the meat 4-5 hours. Drain meat, reserving marinade, & fry gently in lard until golden brown all over. Strain the marinade & add to pan. Cover & boil with the meat until it is very tender and the sauce is reduced by half. Meanwhile, make another sauce with the tomato paste, oil, onion, parsley, salt & pepper, simmering it on low heat for 6-8 minutes. Add the cockles & simmer until they open (discard any that do not open). Shake the pan & transger contents to the top of the meat. Cover. Simmer gently for 3 mins & serve in same pan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Side dishes depend on the season: Spring - sauteed greens (recipe follows) or fresh favas with coriander Summer - green peas perhaps cooked with onion, sweet red pepper, and a splash of vinegar, or braised with rounds of garlicky sausage. Fall - cauliflower simmered in milk or water until faintly tender Winter - Intensely orange chunks of carrots, boiled until tender & turned in salty butter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And of course, almost everything is served with boiled potatoes or fried shoestring potatoes, in any season. Boiled potatoes are served with a small jug of olive oil to moisten them. If not potatoes (or sometimes in addition to) is a medium grained rice cooked with a very little bit of lard (it works here). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grelos Sauteed Spring Greens serves 4-6 2 lb tender young mustard or turnip greens, or spinach 2 large garlic cloves, minced 3 Tb olive oil 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper Pick over the greens carefully, removing withered leaves and all coarse stems and veins. Wash well. Shake off excess water. Bundle in several thicknesses of paper toweling & let stand 10-15 mins. Rebundle in dry paper toweling and store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to cook. Saute the garlic in a large kettle over low heat 10-12 mins, until soft (DO NOT BROWN) Dump in all the greens & toss well in the garlic oil. Stir-fry 2-3 mins over high heat, just until greens wilt & are nicely glossed with oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, toss again & taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.