Portugese Peasant Foods

Portuguese Peasant Bread

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)

Asordo (Bread Soup)    

Cataplana

Seafood  Cataplana

Chicken and Clam Cataplana

Bacalhau Fornado (Salt Cod Pie)

Portuguese Peasant Bread  Yields: 2 loaves, 12 servings
Work Time: 20 minutes plus rising and cooling Total Time: 55 minutes, plus rising and cooling

2 TB sugar

2 pkt active dry yeast

1 pkt barley cereal (8 ounces) (about 4 1/2 cups) - * uncooked

2 1/2 cup stone-ground cornmeal preferably white

4 tsp salt

4 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

* Barley cereal can be found in the baby-food section of supermarkets

each

1. In small bowl, stir sugar and yeast into 1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.); let stand until yeast mixture foams, about 5 minutes.

2. In large bowl, combine barley cereal, cornmeal, salt, and 4 cups flour. With wooden spoon, stir in yeast mixture and 2 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.) until combined. With floured hands, shape dough into a ball in bowl.

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees F.) until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. Punch down dough and turn onto well-floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes, working in more flour (about 3/4 cup) as necessary while kneading.

5. Grease large cookie sheet. Cut dough in half and shape each half into a 6-inch round. Coat each round with flour; place on cookie sheet. Cover loaves with towel and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake loaves until golden brown, a total of about 35 minutes, using spray bottle to spritz loaves with water after first 5 minutes of baking, and again 10 minutes later. Cool on wire racks.

NOTES : This dense bread is called broa in Portugal. Our "secret" ingredient for its unusual flavor and texture: barley cereal for babies! The loaves are also sprayed with water during baking to help give them the characteristic crisp and chewy crust.

Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup) Serves 4 50 min
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
+5oz Chouriço Sausage, diced
3 large Potatoes, peeled and diced
40 fl. oz. Water
14 oz Kale or Collard Greens, cut into very fine strips (julienne)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and transparent, stirring from time to time. 

2. Add the garlic and half the chouriço and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes and water, bring to a boil then reduce the heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. 

4. Allow the soup to cool a little then transfer to a food processor or liquidiser and process until smooth. 

5. Return the soup to the saucepan together with the greens, salt and pepper, bring back to a boil, stirring then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 

6. To serve – transfer to serving bowls and garnish with the remaining cubes of chouriço.

Asordo (Bread Soup)    Serves  40 min
8 oz Stale White Bread
3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp Olive Oil
40 fl. oz. Chicken stock
4 oz Cooked peeled Prawns (Shrimp)
1 - 2 tsp Hot Red Pepper Sauce
Salt
To Garnish:
2 Eggs (raw)
Freshly chopped Parsley

1. Break the bread up into small pieces place in a shallow dish, just cover with cold water and leave to soak for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Squeeze out as much of the water as possible and set the bread aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and sauté until just beginning to brown.
4. Add the stock, bring to a simmer then add the bread and cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the bread completely breaks down forming a soup.
5. Add the prawns, salt and pepper sauce to taste and cook, stirring for a further 5 minutes.
6. To serve - transfer the soup in a serving bowl, sprinkle with the parsley then break the eggs on top of the soup. Once at the table, stir the eggs into the soup just before serving.

Much like the word Tagine, Cataplana is the name for both the recipe and utensil in which you cook it.  Cataplanas are a feature of many Algarve kitchens and are often used as a center piece dish at social gatherings.

Cataplana - The vessel

This is a broad domed dish, much like two woks placed together which is traditionally made of copper..  It is of Moorish design and was introduced to Southern Portugal during  their occupation from the 8th Century AD.  The food is placed in the bottom half of the dish then the hinged lid is closed enabling the ingredients to simmer together and the flavors develop. It can be used in the oven but often is used on the stove-top.

Cataplana - The recipe

With Southern Portugal being three quarters surrounded by sea, it is not surprising that fish and seafood featured heavily in their diets. Originally Cataplana was an entirely seafood dish, utilizing items such as clams and mussels. It was the ideal way to steam shellfish to perfection.  Today some people use meat or fowl as additions to seafood, however it should not be confused with a stew as the tradition of a relatively quick cooking time is upheld by way of cutting the meat or fowl into small pieces and some sort of seafood is usually included. Whatever the main ingredients, it is seasoned with herbs or spices and often cooked with tomatoes, onions and wine.

Below are three Cataplana recipes but experiment and use whatever you have to hand. The same effect can be achieved in an ordinary saucepan with a close fitting lid.

Seafood  Cataplana    15 min   Serves 4   

8 oz Fresh Mussels (in shell), scrubbed

8 oz Fresh Small Clams (in shell), scrubbed

8 oz Raw Prawns (in shell)

8 oz Baby Squid tubes, cut into rings
4 fl. oz. White Wine
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
8 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
2 fl. oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Place all the ingredients in the bottom of a cataplana or a wide saucepan with a close fitting lid. Place over a low/medium heat, cover with the lid and cook for 5-8 minutes until the mussel and clam shells have steam open.

Stir well and remove and discard any mussels or clams which haven't opened. Serve immediately.

Chicken and Clam Cataplana   Serves 4  25 min

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Onion, chopped

1 lb boneless Chicken, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 fl. oz. Fresh Chicken Stock or White wine
1 lb Fresh Clams in shells, scrubbed
Freshly chopped Parsley to serve

1.  Heat the oil in a Cataplana or wide saucepan with a close fitting lid, add the onion and garlic and sauté gently over a medium heat until soft and transparent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the chicken turn to coat then cover with the lid and cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked through, turning once or twice during the cooking time.

3. Add the stock and bring to simmering point.

4. Add the clams, replace the lid and cook for five minutes, or until the clam  shells have opened.

Discard any clams which haven't opened, sprinkle with the chopped parsley
and serve immediately.

Bacalhau Fornado (Salt Cod Pie) Serves 4   60 min plus soaking 

11 oz Salted Cod (Saltfish), pre-soaked
10 fl. oz. Milk
2 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
1 Capsicum (Sweet Pepper), thinly sliced
2 large Tomatoes, chopped
1 heaped tbsp Freshly chopped Parsley
1 oz Butter
1 TB Plain Flour
1 lb Mashed Potato

1. Place the saltfish in a saucepan together with the milk and bay leaves, bring to simmering point then cook gently for about 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion, garlic and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until softened.
3. Add the tomatoes and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, for a further 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Once cooked, remove the fish from the milk with a slotted spoon(reserving the milk), remove any bones and skin and flake into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
5. In a clean saucepan, melt the butter and then stir in flour and cook , over a medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute.