Bacalhau da Consoada (Christmas Eve Codfish)

The New York Times recently had an interesting article on the importance of salted cod to Portuguese Christmas dinners:

“Bacalhau, as the fish is called here, is to Christmas Eve in Portugal what turkey is to Thanksgiving in America. Treasured since the 16th century, when Portuguese fishermen first brought it back from, it bore the nickname fiel amigo — faithful friend. Its correct preparation is a source of pride, a sign of respect for family values."
"Every Portuguese, it seems, likes to boast that there are 1,000 recipes for bacalhau and that the people here eat more of it than do those anywhere else in the world.”

If you want to try celebrating this Christmas the Portuguese way, we recommend this traditional recipe from Cuisines of Portuguese Encounters, Expanded Edition. As the author Cherie Hamilton says about it:

Codfish prepared for the consoada (the traditional Christmas Eve dinner) is an alternative to the codfish cooks with todos (literally "all"), which is traditionally served for supper on December 25. This particular recipe, besides being very enticing, appeals to those who like their codfish served in large pieces. In some homes it is served as a second course, preceded by boiled crabs, shrimp, and lobster; and followed by roast turkey or Roast Suckling Pig (page 44) and the trimmings.

2 pounds thick salt cod fillets
6 medium onions, peeled
6 carrots, peeled
2 pounds medium white potatoes, peeled
3 pounds collard greens, stems removed
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed
6 to 8 hard-boiled eggs (1 per person)

Soak the salt cold fillets in cold water to cover for 24 hours int he refrigerator, changing the water frequently.

Drain the salt cold and place in a large pot with the onions, carrots, potatoes, greens, and salt. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and saute the garlic cloves until lightly golden. Keep warm.

Arrange the codfish, onions, carrots, potatoes, collards, and eggs on a large platter or several platters. Serve the warm olive oil with garlic in a bowl on the side to drizzle over the fish and vegetables.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Clams in a Cataplana (Ameijoas na Cataplana)

Never cooked with a cataplana, or chatted over tea with friends about its role in the Portuguese Inquisition? You may end up doing both after reading this recipe from Cherie:

As we consider the cuisine of Portugal today, there are many ingredients that have come from the age of exploration. Cinnamon and curry spices were brought to Portugal by Vasco da Gama and became a staple for many of the egg sweets. Onions and garlic were brought to Portugal by the Romans, who established colonies there. They also brought wheat, olives, and grapes. The Moors who occupied Portugal for 500 years were responsible for planting almond, fig, apricot, lemon, and orange trees. They invented the cataplana, a clam-shaped pan for cooking.

A famous dish that resulted from the Moorish influence was Ameijoas na Cataplana (clams tossed with sausages and pork). The dish was created during the Inquisition to test adherence to Christianity, since the consumption of pork and shellfish was forbidden by Orthodox Judaism and Islam. The Moors are also credited for the egg desserts so popular in Portugal and throughout the Portuguese-speaking world. The nuns in convents were responsible for making these sweets and are credited for taking them to Brazil in the sixteenth century.

This recipe comes from the Ribatejo region of Portugal which is the area northeast of Lisbon along the Tagus River.

Serves 4 to 6.

Marinade:
1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. salt
½ c. white wine
6 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf

Pork:
2 pounds pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons bacon fat or lard
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Clams:
4 pounds littleneck clams
4 tablespoons cornmeal
½ cup olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon flour
1 cup minced fresh parsley

For the Clams: Wash the clams well and scrub with a brush. Place the clams in a pot with water to cover. Add the cornmeal and salt. Refrigerate for 10 hours. This will whiten the shells and give the clams a sweeter taste.

For the Marinade: With a mortar and pestle, purée the garlic and salt. Add the wine, lemon juice, vinegar, paprika, pepper, and bay leaf. Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes, rub well with the mixture and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

The following-day Clams: In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion slices and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the garlic is lightly browned. Remove the garlic. Add the tomatoes, flour, and pepper and continue cooking over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender. Set aside.

For the Pork: Heat the olive oil and bacon fat in a large, heavy skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Drain the pork from the marinade, set the marinade aside, and in the skillet brown the pork quickly in small batches. Transfer the browned pork to a dish and keep warm. In the same oil sauté the onion and garlic until limp and golden, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, reserved marinade, pork cubes and any juice that has accumulated. Mix well, cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Add the clams and the tomato mixture to the pork mixture and simmer until the clams open, about 15-20 minutes. The Portuguese usually serve this dish with French fried potatoes and white rice.

Note: If you have a cataplana, add all the ingredients to it at the point before you cook them for 30 minutes. Then add the clams and tomato mixture to cook and meld for the last 15 to 20 minutes. Some cooks use red wine instead of the white for the marinade.

Those Bandeirantes sure got around! Taste the best recipes from all the cuisines they left behind with Cherie's book.

Photos courtesy of Tom Wallace and Wikimedia Commons.

Rice Pudding (Arroz Doce)

Another recipe from Cherie Hamilton:

This dessert is almost obligatory at wedding receptions. In certain regions of Portugal and the Madeira Islands, rice pudding was used as a way of announcing an impending wedding and of introducing the groom to the bride’s relatives and friends. The local girls, with the bride’s mother and the groom, would visit families that they knew and offer a dish of rice pudding in a shallow basket covered with a hand embroidered cloth. Custom also calls for the party to return a week later to collect the basket and dish and for the bride to receive a wedding gift. This pudding is also enjoyed on holidays and special occasions throughout the Portuguese-speaking world.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

1¼ cups short grain rice
4 cups milk
1 lemon peel
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Place the rice in a large pot, add the milk, and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon peel and the sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let cool for 30 minutes.

Add the egg yolks to the rice one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Return the rice mixture to the stove and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into a serving dish, cool, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Sprinkle the pudding with cinnamon before serving, using a doily over the rice to create a pattern. Some cooks sprinkle the cinnamon in the shape of letters, hearts or other designs.

If your mate speaks Portuguese, you may want to give this recipe a look before heading here.

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Golden Cupcakes (Quindims)

Guest blogging for Hippocrene Cooks this week is Cherie Hamilton, Hippocrene's globe-trotting specialist on the food cultures and cuisines of Portuguese-speaking countries around the world. Cherie's much-praised cookbook, Cuisines of Portuguese Encounters, was recently reprinted in an expanded edition (with over 70 new recipes) and truly crosses borders as it examines the distinct cuisines Portuguese explorers, colonists and missionaries left behind them as they crossed the world's oceans.

Cherie's first recipe this week comes from Brazil:

This recipe from Brazil is one that I usually recommend for an easy dessert because it has only five ingredients. Legend has it that Portuguese nuns, who were well-known for their tasty egg custards, brought this recipe with them to Brazil. Coconut, which is not native to Portugal, was added later by African slaves. Quindim is a very sweet dessert that was popular during slavery times in the masters’ houses of the sugar plantations in the north of Brazil. These dessert cakes were served at family dinners and elaborate parties. Baked in small individual pastry tins, or muffin tins, they are then inverted and served in little silver paper cups for a festive touch. As the quindim cooks, the coconut rises to the top and forms a light brown crust. When inverted, the coconut is on the bottom and the yolks form a golden dome on top. This recipe can be doubled and baked in an angel food cake mold or a Bundt pan. It is then called a quindão, which means “big cake.”

Quindims should be prepared the day before serving to allow them to chill overnight (or for at least 4 hours).

Makes one dozen.

1 cup extra-fine sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine, softened
9 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 cup freshly grated coconut (or fresh unsweetened coconut)
Melted butter or margarine for tins
Sugar for dusting tins

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Place the sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Beat the mixture until fluffy. Add the egg yolks and the whole egg, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold in the coconut and mix well without beating.

Brush 12 muffin tins, or 24 mini muffin tins, with the melted butter and dust with the sugar. Fill the tins almost to the top with the custard. Place the muffin tin in a baking pan. Pour hot water into the pan to a depth of 1 inch making a bain-marie. Bake the quindims for about 35 minutes, or until they are firm and slightly golden.

Cool for 10 minutes on a rack. Remove the cakes from the tins and place the coconut side down in silver paper cups or on a serving dish and chill overnight, or for at least 4 hours.

Photos courtesy of Tom Wallace.

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