potatoes

bacalao a bras (baccala)

March 15, 2012

Bacalao a bras was one of my favorite dishes when I was living in Lisbon.

From wikipedia: ” is one of the most popular ways to prepare codfish in Portugal. It is made from shreds of salted cod (bacalhau), onions and thinly chopped (matchstick sized) fried potatoes in a bound of scrambled eggs. It is usually garnished with black olives and sprinkled with fresh parsley. It is a very common dish in cafes and restaurants as well as households through Portugal as a lunch option. The origin of the recipe is uncertain, but it is said to have originated in Bairro Alto, an old quarter of Lisbon. The noun “Brás” (or sometimes Braz) is supposedly the surname of its creator.”

Although most suggest to keep the bacalao in water for at least 24hr I usually do it for at least 48 hours. I change the water 2-3 times/day.

Recipes

Frittata alle patate (italian omelette with potatoes and leeks)

November 17, 2007

manthestove

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Yesterday I covered the basics about frittata when I posted about “frittata con le salsiccie” (frittata with sausage).

We have a pescetarian in the house. So, at the last brunch I had to make also a vegetarian frittata. I used potatoes and leeks. It’s simple and very good.

Ingredients (this makes an 8×1 inch frittata):

one leek
three potatoes
10-12 eggs
salt, pepper and herbs (i used thyme)
extra virgin olive oil

The steps:

1. slice the leeks (white part only) and dice the potatoes (small pieces).

2. start sautee’ing the potatoes in 3-4 tablespoon of olive oil. It will take a good 10-15mins for the potatoes to cook properly. After about 10mins add the leeks and let sautee for another 5mins.

3. Time to add the beaten egg mix. Let it cooked at medium-low heat for about 5-10mins (in my pan it took about 10mins).

4. it’s now time to turn the frittata around. When do you turn it? A good test is to check the bottom of the frittata with a spatula. If the bottom is a nice golden brown it’s time to turn the frittata around. Quick steps:

5. Cook it now for another 3-5 mins and the frittata is ready to go!!

Enjoy!!!

Recipes

Pesce al Forno con Patate (Baked Halibut with Potatoes)

November 17, 2007

manthestove

0 Comments

I love this dish. It’s fundamentally the way good fish is supposed to be cooked: in the oven, light on spices and with potatoes on the side. No creams, no heavy rubs, nothing that would spoil the flavor of good fresh seafood.

As result the list of ingredients is short, the recipe is very simple and the bill for the fish high 🙂

Ingredients (about 6 people):

2 pounds of fresh halibut
3-4 potatoes
extra virgin olive oil
salt, black pepper, a bit of thyme
1/3 cup of white wine
few black olives (use Kalamata or some other “salty” version)

The steps:

1. Chop the potatoes in smaller chunks (I do something along the line of a 1/3in by 1/3in – no need to be too precise). I wash them and add 5 tablespoon of olive oil, black pepper, salt (don’t be shy) and the white wine. Mix everything and stick the pan in the oven at 400. The potatoes take longer than the fish to cook and you want to give them an head start.

2. After about 10 mins I usually take the potatoes out, give it a good stir and add the fish (with salt, pepper and thyme). If I have lots of people for dinner and the fish is big I usually tend to already cut it in individual portions. It requires a smaller pan, but that’s not the main reason. It actually cooks faster. A rule that someone mentioned to me was 10mins for each each of fish (head to tail). When I cook individual slices (of about an inch each) I usually go for 20mins. This is a good time to also add the olives.

3. After about 20 mins the dish is ready!

Enjoy!

bacalao a bras (baccala)

Frittata alle patate (italian omelette with potatoes and leeks)

Pesce al Forno con Patate (Baked Halibut with Potatoes)

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