Portuguese Recipes (In order)

(Stewed Portuguese Chicken Gizzards and 

Feet)

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of Chicken Gizzards

1/2 lb of Chicken Feet, nails removed (My butcher sells them with the nails removed, if you can’t find them with the nails removed just use scissors to cut the nails off)

sea salt to taste

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 medium sized onions, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (you can omit if you don’t like spicy)

2 bay leaves

5 whole allspice (CAN NOT SUBSTITUTE WITH GROUND)

2 whole cloves (CAN NOT SUBSTITUTE WITH GROUND)

1/2 can of tomato paste

2-3 tablespoons of massa pimenta (Portuguese pepper paste)

4 cups of red wine

2 cups of water

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 chicken bouillon

Directions:

First things first. Clean the gizzards and feet.  First the gizzards. Remove the gizzards from the packaging and place in a deep bowl. Fill the bowl with cold water and a 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Give the gizzards a good mix. Drain the water and place the Gizzards in a deep pot and fill with water. You will need a little bowl and a small strainer to remove all of the impurities that come to the top. Bring to a boil and then change setting to medium/high heat. Skim off the impurities and let boil until water runs clean and there is no longer any impurities on the top. Will take about 10 minutes. (For guidance please check out my instagram post).  Drain the water, but keep the gizzards in the pot. Fill the pot with cold water and inspect each gizzard (Make sure there’s not any white stringy stuff or any green stuff on them (this shouldn’t be eaten). Clean one by one and place in a bowl. Once completed, set aside. Clean the chicken feet the exact same way you did the gizzards. Once done, place in a bowl and salt them (about 1 teaspoon for all). Then set aside.

In a deep pot, heat the olive oil over medium/high heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with a little salt (to sweat them out). Sauté onions for about 3-5 minutes. Then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leave, whole allspice and whole cloves. Sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and massa pimenta. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the gizzards and give everything a good mix. Add the wine, water and sea salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 hours on medium/low heat. After the 2 hours add the chicken bouillon and chicken feet. Cook for an additional 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Franks Hot sauce

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

5 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon of massa pimenta (Portuguese Pepper Paste)

Juice of one lemon

Directions:

Spatchcock your chicken (Remove back bone), flip and place on flat surface with breast side up. With both palms, press down on the breast until you hear it crack.

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour all of the marinade on the chicken and rub in, place in fridge for 8-24 hours. 

Remove from fridge and let sit and for 1 hour before placing in oven. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet lined with foil paper. Place chicken on top (Save the marinade) and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and brush the marinade you saved on the chicken. Place back in oven for another 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Ingredients:

4 veal shanks

Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt

1 tablespoon of lard or any cooking oil of your choice

1 1/2 cup of dry white wine

1 piece of Toucinho (Smoked pork Belly)

2 onions, sliced in half moons

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 small bay leaves, or 1 large one

3 whole cloves

5 whole allspice

1/2 can of tomato paste

3 tablespoons of massa pimenta (Portuguese Pepper Paste - Hot or Sweet, up to you)

For Garnish:

Fresh Parsely, finely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Season the veal shanks with the salt on both sides and set aside.  

Heat the lard or any cooking oil over medium high heat in a cast iron skillet if you have one or a regular pan will do. When the lard is hot enough, in 2 batches add the shanks and sear on both sides until you get a nice crust - about 5-8 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and set aside. Add the wine to deglaze the pan - we want all those bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan! Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a casserole or baking dish, add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, whole cloves, whole allspice, the tomato paste and the massa pimenta (Portuguese pepper paste). Mix well with a spoon or whisk until the tomato paste has dissolved. Mix in the wine from the pan. Place the veal shanks and the toucinho (smoked pork belly) in the baking dish and with a spoon top each piece with some of the onion mixture. Cover with foil and bake for an hour, then remove from oven and flip each piece and again top each piece with the onion mixture. Cover with the foil again, and bake for another hour. Remove from oven and remove the foil paper. Again, top each piece with some of the onion mixture which has now turned into a sauce. Place back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the meat has turned golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I served this with a cauliflower mash, because my son is keto, but it is super delicious with a side of buttery mashed potatoes!!!

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

5 medium sized potatoes, peeled cut into french fries - or you can use McCain frozen fries - 1 bag (650g)

Vegetable or Canola Oil (To fry the fries)

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 pounds of salt cod (soaked in cold water for 24-36 hours, changing water 3 times - then drained and boiled until tender. Skin removed, deboned and flaked)

2/3 cup of olive oil 

2 onions, sliced in half moons

pinch of salt and pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

6 eggs, whisked with salt and pepper to taste

pinch of salt and pepper

Olives (to your liking, more or less - up to you) - I prefer black or green olives

3 tablespoons of finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:

In a large pot heat the vegetable/canola oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the fries and cook in batches (I fry in 2-3 batches) - usually takes about 7-10 minutes per batch. Transfer the fries to a plate lined with paper towel, and sprinkle with a little bit of salt - not too much because the cod has salt already.

In a large sauté pan, heat 1/3 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Mixture should be golden. Then mix in the cooked cod and remaining olive oil and cook for 3 minutes. Mix in the potatoes and egg mixture and cook over medium low heat until the egg is cooked (will resemble scrambled eggs). Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of the parsley, mix until well combined. Place on a serving dish a garnish with the remaining parsley and the olives.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of salt cod (soaked in cold water for 24-36 hours, changing water 3 times - then drained and boiled until tender. Skin removed, deboned and flaked)

2/3 + 1/4 cup of olive oil 

2 onions, sliced in half moons

pinch of salt and pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick and cooked in salted water until fork tender

4-5 hard boiled eggs, sliced in rounds or quarters - up to you!

Olives (to your liking, more or less - up to you) - I prefer black or green olives

2 tablespoons of finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large sauté pan, heat the 2/3 cup of the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Mixture should be golden. Then mix in the cooked cod and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

With a pastry brush, brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a 9 x 13 casserole dish, coating bottom and sides.

Spread half of the potatoes on the bottom of the casserole dish. Add half of the cod and onion mixture over the potatoes, then add the remaining potatoes and top with the remaining cod and onion mixture. Drizzle with the 1/4 cup of olive oil and place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and garnish with the parsley, eggs and olives. Once plated I like to add a little bit of black pepper, but this is totally optional - I just like black pepper!

 Ingredients:

1 baguette, 1 inch slices (then placed in a plastic bag, tied and left for 2 days)

4 eggs

1 cup of milk

1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

In one bowl crack the eggs and mix in the milk with a fork or whisk. Once it’s all well incorporated add the nutmeg and set aside. In another long deep dish, mix the sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Then set up a little working station with bowls and the bread.   In a frying pan, heat the vegetable oil until hot. 

Give the egg mixture another mix. Dip one piece of bread at a time, making sure it is soaked with the milk and egg mixture - place in the hot oil.  I usually place about 4-5 at a time - don’t overcrowd. Cook on medium heat and flip after about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Cook on other side for another 2-3 minutes, then place on plate lined with paper towel. When the first batch is complete dip immediately into the sugar and cinnamon mixture then place on a plate. Repeat until done.

You can eat them when cooled, but what I like to do is cover them with saran wrap for a few hours before eating. The sugar and cinnamon mixture becomes a yummy syrup!!  

Ingredients:

3 packs of Frozen Octopus Legs (You can find these at Portuguese Fish Markets like Newport Fish and Osler Fish)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 smalls onions or 1 large onion, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced (You can always add more garlic if you LOVE garlic)

4 tomatoes (skin removed) - or 4 FROZEN tomatoes (I freeze my tomatoes when I see that they’re getting soft) - Remove from freezer, thaw and remove skin (way easier to do it this way, otherwise just slice a cross into the bottom of the fresh tomatoes and blanch them in boiled water for about 1 minute then you can just peel off the skin)

1 tablespoon of paprika 

3 bay leaves

6 whole allspice

1 tablespoon of paprika

1 can of tomato paste

3 tablespoons of massa pimenta (Portuguese Pepper Paste)

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or more or omit if you don’t like spicy

1 bottle of beer

1 chicken bouillon

1 teaspoon of sea salt or more (to your taste) - Start with one wait 5 minutes, taste and if you think it needs more salt add more

7-9 large potatoes (or however many potatoes you want to add - it’s all preference - I like perfect ratio of both cod and potatoes), peeled and cut into 1-2 inch chunks

Directions (Day before):

You will need to thaw the Octopus, so keep in out to thaw.

Directions (Day of):

Remove thawed Octopus from packaging and rinse under cold water - Make sure you clean it properly - there will be some stuff on it. Cut off anything that doesn’t look right. Then chop up in 1-2 inch pieces.  In a pot add the olive oil and let it get hot, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Then, bring temp down to medium head and add the garlic, paprika and tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, whole allspice, tomato paste, massa pimenta and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the chopped up octopus and mix everything until fully coated with mixture. Place on medium low until you see the water from the Octopus starting to come out (you’ll see, will look like you added some liquid but you haven’t). The Octopus will cook in its own water. When it starts to boil, change to simmer and cover. It will take at least 2 hours to cook. Every 10-15 minutes stir the mixture and cover. After 1 hour and a half go by, check the doneness of the Octopus with a fork - Needs to be tender. Keep doing this after the 1 1/2 hour mark every 10 minutes to see if it’s done. When done, add the beer and cook for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes is up add the chicken bouillon and sea salt. Cook for another 2 minutes and add the potatoes. Move to “high”, bring to a boil and then to medium heat. Cook until potatoes are fork tender (Usually 15-20 minutes). When the potatoes are done turn off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes then serve.