Bacalhau à Brás - Portuguese
Scrambled Eggs with Salt Cod & Potatoes



Number of Servings: 4 Prep Time: 1 hr 15 min Skill Level: Average

Ingredients:
1 pound Bacalhau (dried salt cod, baccalà, bacalao)
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds (about 6 cups) potatoes, peeled and cut into thin strips like very skinny french fries
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
8 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
18 oil-cured black olives

Instructions:
1. Rinse the Bacalhau several times and place in a bowl of cold water overnight - change the water several times to reduce the saltiness of the fish.

2. After soaking overnight, drain the Bacalhau and put it in a large saucepan.

3. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer until the Bacalhau flakes easily, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Flake the fish, carefully discarding any bones.

4. Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan at medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in batches and fry until crisp and golden, about 7 minutes per batch. Put the fried potatoes on paper towels to drain the oil.

5. Add 1 additional tablespoon of the olive oil to the same pan. Add the onion and bay leaf and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove the bay leaf and reduce the heat to low.

7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the browned onion slices in the skillet. Mix in the Bacalhau and potatoes.

8. Whisk the eggs salt and pepper together in a large bowl until frothy.

9. Add the eggs and 3 tablespoons of the parsley to the Bacalhau and potatoes in the pan.

10. Cook over medium heat until the eggs are done, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. If you like your eggs drier, cook them for an additional minute, but make sure to stir so they don't stick to the pan and get brown.

11. Serve on a platter garnished with the black olives and the remaining parsley.

Helpful Hints:
Dried salted cod is called baccalà in Italian and bacalao in Spanish. It may help to know this when you are shopping for the fish.

This dish is served as a meal at any time of the day. It makes a great brunch dish or a delicious dinner entree.
Margaret "Conceição" Content - 15 years, 6 months, 29 days ago

Caldo Verde
(Portuguese Kale Soup)
by John Villa
Pico, NYC
Recipe adapted by Irene Sax
Serves 6 to 8



Considered by many to be Portugal's national dish, caldo verde is found everywhere — in the dining rooms of Lisbon's most luxurious hotels to the humblest of country homes. It's a versatile dish: Serve it as a one-course meal at lunch or as a light supper in the evening. What's crucial when preparing it is that the kale is cut into extremely fine slices; that's what creates the soup's distinctive character.

convert Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
10 ounces chouriço, diced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups cold water
1 pound kale or collard greens, cut into very fine julienne
Salt and pepper to taste


Method
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and half the chouriço and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover everything with the water, bring to a boil and lower the heat, simmering until the potatoes are almost done, about 15 minutes.
2. When the soup is cool enough to handle, purée it in the food processor and return to the pot. Add the greens, bring everything back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, and garnish with the remaining cubes of chouriço.
Margaret "Conceição" Content - 15 years, 7 months, 10 days ago

Margaret "Conceição" Content - 15 years, 8 months, 13 days ago

FARMERS APPLE PIE

1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell
3 cups peeled apples (Delicious, Winesap or Macintosh)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450F.
Bake pie shell 8 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F.

Combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cream in a bowl and mix well. Pour the apple mixture into the baked pie shell.

Bake for 1 hour.

Yield: 6 servings
Margaret "Conceição" Content - 15 years, 9 months, 25 days ago

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

12 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 graham cracker pie crust

BLUEBERRY TOPPING:

4 c. blueberries
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 tbsp. cornstarch (+ 2 tbsp. water)
1 tbsp. lemon juice

In a small bowl, blend cream cheese, eggs, vanilla and sugar well. Turn into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Blueberry topping: Combine blueberries with sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Soften cornstarch in 2 tbsp. water. Slowly add paste to berries. Simmer about 15 minutes. Add lemon juice. Spoon warm glaze over cooked cheesecake. Refrigerate.


Margaret "Conceição" Content - 15 years, 9 months, 25 days ago