These dishes are inspired by the kitchen garden of my father-in-law, Senhor Rodrigues, and by our Sunday conversations. Bom apetite!
Receitas Christian
Penne with sardines
Dish composition
Sardine fillets / Penne Riscatto / Cured Queijo de São Jorge / Rocket / Mint
/ ‘Estrugido’
Sardines: 10 fillets
Method: ask the fishmonger to fillet the
sardines for you.
Penne riscatto: 500 g penne riscatto, water, bay leaf, salt.
Method: cook the pasta al dente with the bay leaf and salt.
‘Estrugido’: ½ onion, ½ ripe tomato, 3 cloves of garlic, 1 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp mint,
virgin olive oil.
Method: finely dice the onion, the tomato
and the garlic and sauté in hot olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook
for a minute. Turn off the heat and add the chopped mint and parsley. Save for later.
Finishing/plating up: place the estrugido with a dash of olive in a frying pan. Heat and add half a glass of white wine. Reduce by half and add the sardine fillets, cooking for a few seconds and then removing them. Place the pasta and the rocket in the frying pan and mix, before pouring this mix into a deep plate. Place the fillet on the top and grate over with some cured São Jorge cheese.
Octopus skewers, potatoes and pimientos
de padrón
Dish composition
Octopus / Potato / Pimiento de padrón / Plum / Exotic sauce
Octopus: 2 kg octopus.
Method: Place the octopus in a pan of cold
water and, when it begins to boil, cook for 40 minutes. Salt after 30 minutes
cooking.
Potatoes: baby potatoes.
Method: cook in water and salt.
Figs: 3 plums.
Method: halve and save for later.
Exotic sauce: 50 g mustard, 100 ml
ketchup, ½ ripe mango, 50 ml soy sauce, 40 ml mirin, ½ clove of garlic, 25 g cognac, juice of two limes, 1 tbsp
Tabasco sauce, ½ red onion, 50 ml oyster sauce, 250 ml hazelnut oil.
Method: blend together all the ingredients,
except the oil, until you achieve a fine texture. Gradually add the hazelnut
oil to emulsify and store in the fridge.
Finishing/plating up: build up the octopus skewers, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with some curry powder. Place on an oven tray and cook at 200º C for five minutes. Serve on a flat plate with the exotic sauce, the plums and the pimientos padrón. Accompany with the potatoes and/or a salad.
‘Veranillo’ Chicken
Dish composition
Chicken thigh / Red pepper-lemon verbena sauce / Peach
Chicken thighs: 3 chicken thighs cut
into three, garlic, thyme, olive oil, white wine.
Method: marinate the chicken in garlic,
thyme, white wine and olive oil for 12 hours in the fridge. Preheat the oven to
180º C and bake the chicken on a tray for 45 minutes.
Red pepper and lemon verbena sauce:
5 red peppers, 1 onion, garlic, 100 g butter, 1tbsp lemon verbena, 300 ml
chicken stock.
Method: sauté finely diced red peppers and
onions, the garlic and the lemon verbena in the butter. Add the stock and cook
for 15 minutes. Blend and save for later.
Finishing/plating up: coat the baked chicken in the red pepper and lemon verbena sauce. Peel the white peach, cut into pieces and mix with the chicken. Bring the mixture to the boil and serve, accompanied by basmati rice.
Blueberry Pie
Dish composition
Blueberry pie / Coffee mascarpone / Lemon sorbet
Blueberry pie: 500 g blueberries, 1
pack puff pastry, 300 ml cream, 3 eggs, 200 g sugar, 1 tbsp corn flour.
Method: place the puff pastry in a tin and
cover with the blueberries. Prepare the filling: mix the sugar with the corn flour
and add the eggs, mixing until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream and gently mix. Place this
mixture over the blueberries and bake for 20 minutes at a temperature of 200º
C. Save for later (not in the fridge).
Mascarpone: 250 ml mascarpone, 75 g
sugar, 1 dessert spoon of instant coffee.
Method: mix together and save for later in
the fridge.
Finishing/plating up: cut a slice of pie and serve with the mascarpone and lemon sorbet.
