On great dinners.
You know, I love to cook. But I am definitely not cut out to be in the kitchen the whole day. I think it would drive me crazy. It's hot, dirty and nose and mouth confusing. In the end, I would have smelled and tasted too many different things - yes, I am also not cut out to make only ONE big sized dish. I like to make MANY smaller dishes.
So since I am having a 'little' party here at night, I have already whipped up 7 or 8 different things (among appetizers, main dishes and desserts) since 10 pm yesterday. Not that I have been cooking the whole time. But mostly.
This post is actually not about this party. It is about a small nice dinner I had here on Wednesday. More importantly, this post is about tasting like home. Taste of Portugal ;)
When two friends said they would like to do something Wednesday evening, and since no one had yet seen my new apartment, I suggested we could do dinner + film here. Somehow, it didn't take me long to choose a recipe to cook, I had been dreaming of one of these for a while.
Until not long ago, I really didn't like açorda. It is something that has been growing on me, and that I had never cooked. So I read some recipes online and came up with my own version.
Modesty aside, I dare to say it was a success.
Açorda de Peixe
Nota: na minha terra diz-se que bacalhau não é peixe ;) mas esta receita, para além de poder levar peixes brancos - garoupa é boa opção - pode levar bacalhau. Entre parênteses estão os ingredientes específicos que usei ou outras notas.
- 600g de lombos ou filetes de peixe branco
(bacalhau fresco congelado)
- 1 pão grande (pão de centeio)
- 1 chávena de polpa de tomate
- 1/2 chávena de caldo de marisco (sopa de
salmão)
- 6 dentes de alho, picados
- azeite
- sal
- mistura de pimentas, moída na hora
- ervas de provence
- piri-piri seco
- salsa fresca, picada (usaria coentros, mas
nesta terra não é fácil encontrar)
- 1 ovo
1) Cortar o topo do pão com uma faca de
serrilha, de forma a criar uma tampa,
2) Dourar o peixe com metade do alho em azeite
e sal durante um minuto ou dois, juntar três chávenas de água e deixar cozer,
3) Entretanto, retirar o miolo do pão,
temperar com pimenta e colocar numa taça, reservando o exterior à parte,
4) Juntar e misturar água ao miolo do pão de
forma a que bem embebido; deixar de molho durante cerca de 10 minutos,
5) Escorrer o peixe e partir em pequenos
pedaços; reservar o peixe e o caldo da cozedura separadamente,
6) Num tacho, refogar o restante alho em
azeite,
7) Juntar a polpa de tomate e o caldo de
marisco; misturar e deixar cozinhar um pouco,
8) Escorrer ligeiramente o pão e juntar ao
tacho com o caldo de cozedura do peixe; deixar cozinhar cerca de 10 minutos,
mexendo frequentemente,
9) Juntar o peixe, pimenta, piri-piri, ervas
de provence e a salsa fresca picada, deixar cozinhar mais 2 minutos,
10) Adicionar o ovo e misturar energeticamente
na açorda, deixando cozinhar mais 1 minuto,
11) Verter dentro da crosta do pão e servir
polvilhado com salsa fresca picada.
Fish Açorda
Note: You can use any white fish for this, grouper and salted cod are good options. Between parentheses are other notes, like the specific ingredient I picked.
- 600g white fish (defrost frozen codfish)
- 1 big bread (rye)
- 1 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 cup seafood stock (salmon stock)
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
- provence herbs
- dried chili powder
- fresh parsley, chopped (I would use cilantro but it's not easy to find around here)
- 1 egg
1) Cut the top of the bread, so as to create a lid,
2) Cook the fish with half the garlic and salt in olive oil over medium heat for a minute or two, add three cups water and let boil,
3) Meanwhile, scrape the interior of the bread, season with pepper and place in a bowl, setting the crust aside,
4) Add water to the bread in the bowl until it is all soaken; let rest for around 10 minutes,
5) Drain and chop the fish; keep the resulting broth aside,
6) In a pan, sautée the remaining garlic in olive oil,
7) Add the tomato paste and seafood stock and let cook for a while, stirring,
8) Lightly drain the bread and add to the pan with the fish stock; let cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently,
9) Mix in the fish, pepper, chili, herbs and let cook for 2 more minutes,
10) Add the egg and stir energetically; let cook 1 more minute,
11) Pour inside the bread crust and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.
