Sugar plums and nuns

´Twas the night before Christmas

                                

"The children were nestled all snug in their beds, 

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;"

Like magic, the Sugar Plum Fairy came dancing into a fairyland with marvels of sweets.Yes, Tchaikovsky´s The Nutcracker ballet, a Christmas favourite. My favourite Nutcracker is Matthew Bourne´s, whose fairy wickedly defies the tinsel and good taste of convention.Daffy marshmallow girls prance around  a wonderland where sweets and sugar are a none-too-subtle metaphor for sexual awakening.  "I´m in the mood for dancin´ romancin´","My head is in a spin my feet don´t touch the ground ".I´m ready to tell you about some serious seasonal confection - preserved plums from Portugal.

Long famous for its national sweet tooth, Portugal has been preserving plums, apricots, figs and peaches since the days of Henry the Navigator. First introduced to England by Port wine shippers who "discovered " these wonderful fruits, the Sugar Plum was soon established as a Christmas favourite in England. A ‘sugarplum’ in the truest sense of the name.

My mother´s seasonal treat was always a beautiful wooden box holding eight of these preserved sugar greengages. The lid of the box was either stamped with beautiful typography, or a transfer of a bunch of plums directly onto the wood.
The Ameixas d´Elvas have been made  since the middle ages,traditionally by the nuns. If you can´t find Elvas plums (or a nun to make them for you! ) You can have a shot at making them with Greengages when they are in season in August. This is commiting a bit of a sin against Elvas tradition. But I have to say you can´t beat Mrs Beeton, and if you can´t beat her join her :

TO PRESERVE GREENGAGES, DRY

Ingredients- To each lb of fruit allow 1 lb of sugar,1/4 pint water

Method- For this purpose the fruit must be used before it is quite ripe, and part of the stalk left on. Weigh the fruit, rejecting all that is in the least degree blemished, and put it into a lined saucepan with the sugar and the water, which should have been previously boiled together to a syrup.Boil the fruit in this for 10 minutes, remove it from the fire, and drain the greengages. The next day boil up the syrup, put in the fruit again, let it simmer for 3 minutes, then drain the syrup away. Continue this process for 5 or 6 days, and the last time place the greengages, when drained, on a hair sieve and put them in an oven to dry for 3 days. Turn them every day or they will stick. Put them into papered boxes, with a layer of paper between each layer. Store in a cool dry place.

Its all very Martha Stewart meets Downton Abbey and is probably a task for the weekend. "They come in here talking about the weekend", what is the weekend?" said the dowager countess.
Continuing a tradition many centuries old the plums were were specially selected and harvested in July, cooked twice in syrup and soaked in sugar syrup for six weeks. Painstakingly prepared and sun-dried on a rooftop, then each plum was individually  packaged in Elvas.These semi-dried, semi-crystallised greengages are meaty, juicy and unique (Agatha Christie, incidentally, adored Elvas plums)..

These plums could be eaten on their own (The very idea of such a fanciful confection!! ) for dessert or as an addition to a cheese board. They act in the same way as a quince jam when paired with cheese. I prefer my plums paired with a firm, salty cheese, like Manchego.Try a few slivers of candied plum atop a fluffy pile of  goat cheese or  fresh sheep’s milk cheese. Consider also a single plum alongside a slab of stilton  and a glass of Ruby Port.

Sericaia

This is the traditional desert that normally would accompany Elvas plums. The recipe for this unusually light Portuguese "egg sweet" is adapted from the Varanda Restaurant of the Ritz Four Seasons Hotel in Lisbon. And the twist here is that at the restaurant, an ice cream made from ameixas d'Elvas  is scooped alongside.I like the sound of that. However, the sericaia is equally delicious served plain.The original recipe for Serica comes from Elvas.
I will be posting shortly a recipe for my more modern take on Elvas plums.Casa Rosada will be serving this in the run up to Christmas.


And at the end of the day if you´ve run out of time or just can´t be arsed, pop into Fortnum and Mason and p-pick up a box for 28 quid!!! and with the price of Blumenthal Christmas pudding on e-bay, or even in Waitrose for that matter, this is a snip.

Chicken liver good

Chicken liver is usually considered the poor cousin. It is a simple food, which with a little care can whet the appetite of even a king. In the days when battery farmed chicken was unheard of, this dish would have been considered a delicacy. Lets turn back time and try to rekindle that spirit.

Chicken Livers with Madeira( figados de frango com Vinho Madeira)

Serves 4

500g (1lb) pappardelle or tagliatelle

500g (1lb) well cleaned chicken livers

100g (3.5oz) toucinho or pancetta

1 small onion, chopped

50g ( 2oz ) butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

A small glass of medium dry Madeira

1tablespoonj finely chopped parsley

Cut each chicken liver into two, the bacon into fine sticks, and slice the onion. Heat the butter in apan and fry the onion until golden, then add the bacon and continue frying for a minute or two. Add the chicken livers, season with salt and pepper and fry over a low flame, turning the livers over until they are cooked on all sides. Pour over the Madeira and let it bubble, then reduce for a few minutes. Drain the pasta and serve up with the chicken livers on top.Sprinkle over the chopped parsley.

Bolo Ingles- totobola

Having got the traditional English Christmas cake out of the way and stored in the larder, my curiosity got the better of me. I gave in to temptation and found time (actually, half the time of making and half the work of the English equivalent ) to make a Portuguese  Bolo Ingles, "English cake." My enquiries and googling left me totally in the dark as to why one should find Bolo Ingles in Portugal. This is the best explanation I could find.

Bolo Ingles "English cake."

It is said that this comes from the time when Brazil was a Portuguese colony.The Portuguese Royal family headed by King D. João VI, were escaping from Napoleon, and were aided by the Brits.They found sanctuary in Brazil where D. João is said to have introduced this English style fruit cake to the Brazilians.

When I have time I am going to research how these other culinary angloisms came to be adopted by foreign bodies, playing games with the English language.

Zuppa Inglese   Italian Dessert ( what the English would call trifle)

Creme anglaise in French is custard.

Molho Ingles   Worcestershire sauce to the Portuguese

Bolo Inglese
85g( 3oz) raisins, chopped
85g (3oz) dried cranberries
45g (1.5 oz) candied cherries, halved
45g (1.5 oz) mixed candied fruit, chopped
125ml (4fl oz / 1/2 cup) whisky
300g (10.5 oz ) cake (00) flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened
240g 88.5oz light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon clear honey
50g (13/4oz ) whole almonds with skin on, roughly chopped

FOR THE GLAZE
60g (21/4 oz 1/3 cup) caster sugar,  2 tablespoons whisky

FRUIT FOR THE TOPPING
about 400g(14oz) big chunks of candied fruit
whole red cherries, whole green cherries, tangerines, Elvas plums,figs
small whole pears, strawberries

Soak the raisins, cranberries, cherries and candied fruits in the whisky overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C (325F/ gas mark 3). butter and flour a 30 x 11 x 6cm ( 12 x 4 x 21/2 inch) loaf tin.Sift together the flour,cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
Whisk the butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. add the eggs one at a time, mixing ell after each one.Add the honey and flour, beating well to make a thick batter. Stir in the fruit mix, sloshing it around so that it all loosens up. Stir in the almonds.
Scrape into the tin. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool a bit in the tin, then turn out onto a rack.
Meanwhile make the glaze. Stir together the sugar and the whisky over a low heat without boiling until the sugar has dissolved, then boil until golden and sticky( taking care not to let it burn). You can make this in advance and just warm it up on the lowest heat when you´re ready to use.Dip pieces of the candied fruit into the glaze, then arrange them in big exaggerated chunks on top of the cake. Drizzle a little bit of the remaining glaze here and there.
Sticky up your hands and enjoy!

Pure comfort

Oven fresh

The rain has been pouring down for four days now, and comfort food was the order of the day. Leeks were plentiful in the market, and with a bag of potatoes under my arm and some free range chicken breasts from our independent supermarket in town,I was ready for cooking. Tonight I cooked a home made pie with steaming buttery leeks,melting potatoes, succulent chicken pieces and last, but least in quantity, a surprise ingredient- basil I had dried back in August. I don´t normally put dried herbs in this pie, but I have to say this addition lent a subtle scent-sation to the dish.

Chicken, leek and potato pie
Serves 2

250g ready rolled puff pastry
2 medium sized chicken breasts skinned and baked in the oven

375g well scrubbed potatoes, peeled if you prefer

2 medium sized leeks

50g butter, flour, milk

1 egg beaten to glaze the pastry

Cut each potato into thick rounds. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes.Bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer the potatoes until tender to a knife point. Drain and set aside. Trim the leeks and discard the very darkest green parts. Slice the white and pale green parts into thick rings. Rinse thoroughly in a colander under hot running water. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the leeks. leaving them to cook over a low heat until they are soft and sweet. Be patient this can take 30 minutes at least. Combine the drained potatoes with the leeks, then add another large knob of butter. Allow this to melt, then sprinkle in some flour and stir to make soft paste, gradually add milk till you have your vegetables coated in a creamy white sauce.Stir in the pre-cooked chicken and season with salt and plentiful fresh ground black peppercorns. Grease and line a 20 x 28cm deep pie dish with two thirds of the pastry then fold in your filling. Fold the edges of the pastry in slightly over the filling and then brush these edges with egg. Carefully put the other third of the pastry onto the top of the filling and press it slightly onto the egg coated pastry to secure. Brush the top of the pastry with more egg and then carefully score three or four slashes widthwise across the pie. Bake in a hot oven at 200C/ gas mark 6 for 45 minutes till golden and crisp, Serve immediately.

Planning ahead... if only

How does she cope with Christmas, one wonders. 

She must have a walk in fridge!!!!- so annoying.

Of my own accord

 "Broth without bread only in hell"

Backtracking to enjoying some late summer sun in November, we tootled off for a spot of lunch at one of our favourite restaurants Pezinhos n´Areia. Pezinhos at Praia Verde is one of the few local restaurants that upholds culinary heritage and serves some very traditional and unusual Algarvian dishes.The Algarve has a forgotten culinary archive that chefs and restaurants  have overlooked, in favour of more touristic food like "Chicken Piri Piri". Now is the time to tap into this legacy and reinstate some culinary classics.Jornal do Algarve ran an article headed "Turismo culinario pode render milhoes."  Basically those involved in the food industry and tourism need to delve deep and re-invent their menus to attract a wider clientele. At Pezinhos, however,there is a lovely personal touch and attention to detail. As you can see from the pictures which we took on location, Fernando the waiter brings the dish to the table with the raw egg sitting on top and then proceeds to stir it into the hot soup with two spoons.I have saved this post until now as this recipe is not one for the faint hearted,for hot weather, or for anyone who has been told to cut back on their bread intake. It is a dish for a real trencherman.Do not even think of adding anything else to the meal when selecting this as a main dish.Winter is the prime time to enjoy this dish.

Feeling sorry for myself, trying to nurse a cold, and in need of comfort food, finally I took the opportunity to fulfil a promise to myself to sample this typical Algarvian Speciality- Açorda à Algarvia. I had on many occasions tried and loved the Italian  pappa al pomodoro,Tuscan bread soup, made with basil and tomatoes.Now was the time to tuck into a wonderful Portuguese bread -pap called Açorda which comes in many guises. Açordas, generally consist of bread boiled with other ingredients, forming a lumpy porridge( don´t be put off by my description,because even though it does not look "glamorous darling" it is extremely attractive to the palate).Portugal has an extremely high bread consumption. It is an accompaniment to everything - starters, soups, savoury dishes, and also eaten with fruit. Because of this, it gets to be left over in more than sufficient quantities to justify cooking it.The secret to an açorda is in the quality of the bread.Peasant bread has sadly become the so-called peasant loaf - a cross between white and wholewheat.It is  much more solid and close textured ( dare I use the word  worthy) than just plain ordinary white.The flour is an unbleached stoneground white flour. Any bread can be used for açorda, but the result may not match the Portuguese original.Excessively white, lifeless cotton wool type breads  should be avoided if you want to avoid a bland pap.To get the WOW FACTOR with an açorda for starters you need a round loaf, ideally Broa de Milho (maize bread).This is typical peasant bread at its best.Pao de milho is available in every town supermarket in Portugal. In the UK or U.S you will probably have to look to a more specialist outlet. The reason for using this bread is its its ability to crumble, so therefore great stuff for thickening soups.It keeps well.If kept in a plastic bag in a bread bin it will still be good in a week, It can be frozen.

Try this one, it´s yummy!

This is how it's done:

           SERVES 2

• 150g clams shelled
• 150g conquilhas ( cockles) shelled
• 150g prawns shelled
• 1 medium-size onion
• 50 ml olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 4 eggs
• 450g left over Broa de milho (maize bread)
• salt to taste
• 1 round artisan loaf of bread with top sliced off to make a lid ( the soup bowl)

Preparation:

Cook the cockles, the clams, and the shrimp. keep the water you boiled them in. Shred the onion and garlic. Put a pan over a moderate flame with olive oil, add the onion and the garlic, and let it braise. When it starts getting a golden color, put in some of the water you used to boil the seafood, and let it boil up.

Add the bread torn into pieces, and mix it up until you get a homogeneous dough. Add the seafood, the minced coriander, and adjust the seasoning.Hollow out your loaf and fill it with the porridge. Crack  the eggs into the hot breadsoup, stirring vigorously and let them cook.For maximum impact this last stage should be done at the table as I described above. Before you serve, sprinkle with a little more coriander.
 
Variation

Prawn açorda is a richer version of seafood açorda, using only prawns. In some restaurants they will bulk it up with some firm fleshed white fish. The liquid should be fish stock or, much better still, the strained liquor left after cooking the prawns. The objective is to have a marked seafood taste in these açordas.

Brush up your Shakespeare

Here´s one that will tame any palate.This is a traditional Portuguese dessert or spread. We usually have a slice of marmelada with cheese, and this match made in heaven is called Romeo and Julietta. In Spain this quince cheese is called membrillo and served with manchego - maravilho!!!! In far away Pakistan It´s called muraba, Cotognata in Italy, and in Brazil they call the partnership Joãosinho e Maria.

Marmelada has a natural affinity to cheese and is lovely with bread and one of the creamy Portuguese cheeses such as Serra da Estrela, or queijo fresco. Just as we like it.

It is often served for breakfast. Jam and cheese, "cheese and cake", kay?

It is delicious and it keeps very well for up to 2 years!

Quince marmalade ( marmelada )

About 2kg (41/2 lb) quince

Juice of 1 lemon

2kg (4lb) sugar
This makes a massive amount and unless you want a huge wibbly wobbly bundt full of jelly on your hands, or your thinking of home made culinary Christmas presents, I would halve or even quarter this quantity. The ring in the picture above was quarter of the original recipe. It will keep this house fa -la -la-la -laing through Christmas.

Wash the quinces and cut them up, skin, pips and all. Put them in a large heavy based pan, add about 1.25 litres (5 cups ) of water and the lemon juice. Bring to the boil.Lower the heat, cover and simmer for at least an hour, stirring often, until the quinces are soft and turn a rosy pink.
cool a little, then pass through a fine food mill, discarding the bits that won´t go through.
Weigh the quince. For every kilo use 800g (1lb 12 oz) sugar. weigh the sugar and put in the pan with the quinces. bring to a gentle boil, stirring contantly to avoid sticking and burning.Lower the heat and simmer for 21/2 - 3 hours, stirring very often until it is thick, with a beautiful deep colour and falls onto itself when you drop a spoonful from a height, rather than vanishing into nothing.It should also start to pull away from the sides of the pan when you stir it.You need to up your stirring towards the end as this is when it starts to stick and burn.Using a piece of kitchen paper Lightly oil a large (3 litre/ 12 cup ) ring tin ( I used a 750ml ring ). Pour the marmelada into the ring and smooth the top with a wooden spoon.Leave to cool, covered with a sheet of greaseproof paper, so no moisture can form.Leave overnight so it dries out a bit. Turn out onto a plate ( I had to dip the ring into some hot water briefly to release it).Store in an airtight container in the fridge.A cool larder is fine, if you don´t have space in your fridge.

Pastacadabra

Which came first the chicken or the egg? 
Yesterday in the kitchen I was playing culinary games with a warm squash salad of Jamie Olivers, from the Times online.I waved my kitchen wand and changed it into a hot pasta dish.!!

Roast Pumpkin /Squash and garlic Tagliatelle
serves 2
250g pumpkin or butternut squash or mix of both (weight after seeding and peeling) 
1 heaped teaspoon coriander seeds
2-3 dried red chillies crumbled
 4 slices of pancetta, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
200ml carton of cream for an extra rich cheesy taste substitute mascarpone
parmesan to taste
handful of small rocket leaves
250g tagliatele or papardelle
 
Bash the coriander seeds and chillies in a pestle and mortar. Put the cubed squash and garlic cloves unpeeled, in a bowl then sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil. season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the coriander chilli mix over the squash and turn well to coat.Tip into a small roasting tray and cover with a dampened piece of parchment paper.
Roast for 45 minutes at 200C. Remove the paper and leave to cool.When cool squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the squash and discard the skins. Mash the garlic and squash together. Fry the pancetta until well sealed. Tip in the squash and garlic into the pan with the pancetta. Cook down till the squash is completely pureed then add the cream and mix in well. Add the rocket leaves and parmesan. Serve with a bowl of extra parmesan on the table.

P-perk up a piquillo

They are jungle red, they are tickety-boo tasty, and like a new pair of silk red gloves they are just the ticket for slipping onto your culinary Christmas shopping list. You will not find this recipe anywhere. It was passed to me some years ago by a Basque national from the Navarra region of Northern Spain. Stuffed piquillo peppers every which way, but this one didn´t get loose.Fire-roasted and hand-peeled Pimientos del Piquillo are a unique specialty of Lodosa, a village in Navarra.After roasting over beechwood, and while still hot, the peppers are individually skinned, cored and seeded by the local ladies using only a cloth and a small paring knife. Next the peeled peppers are trimmed with great precision so that they remain whole and unbroken. Finally, at the end of the line, they are packed very carefully in the jar in their own natural juice, without ever coming in contact with either water or brine. No seasoning, no water, no brine added - they are Piquillo peppers, pure and simple.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - so be careful not to bargain hunt! They are very expensive due to the cost of artesan production, but it would be a shame to be put off by this as they are worth every penny. Only Piquillo peppers with the tightly monitored D. O. Lodosa label are guaranteed to be grown in the Lodosa countryside, from the unique variety of peppers and have been produced using the basic artisan process.If you are London based you can buy them from Brindisa,( also online shopping ) Garcia in the Portobello Road or other good delicatessens and specialist sections of some supermarkets. In the run up to Christmas, when time is of the essence, this makes an easy and delicious supper dish. As a starter its presentation on the plate is a compliment to the season, and as a main course it leaves you asking for more.
Piquillo peppers stuffed with tuna, onions and mashed potatoserves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main course 1 tin of artesan piquillo peppers ( Navarrico or Bujanda )750 g floury potatoes, King Edwards or Maris Piper peeled and boiled (approx. 4 medium potatoes)1 tin of Ortiz tuna2 Spanish onions sliced into thin ringsa very thick slice of butter ( about 75g )a few large sprigs of thyme Salt and pepper Extra butter for the mashed potato and for greasing the oven dish    Melt the butter in a heavy based pan. Add the onions with a sprinkling of salt and cook slowly over a low heat.It will take 30 minutes or more for them to colour, though they should not brown. Meanwhile boil the potatoes, drain them and mash them adding the extra butter and then fold in the cooked onions.Check the seasoning and allow the mix to cool slightly.With a small spoon, carefully spoon the potato mixture into the peppers, pushing it gently right down to the tip of the pepper. Do not overfill as the peppers will split. Grease an ovenproof dish and lay the peppers in it side by side. Heat in a moderate oven for 10 minutes. Serve with a side salad of capers, finely diced tomatoes and parsley. To make your starter plate a tad more tempting try a brandade filling. This is a puree of salt cod, olive oil and cream which is a speciality of Languedoc and Provence. Similar preparations are made in many countries where dried cod is enjoyed, so a sure fire item on Portuguese Christmas menus.Venetian Baccala mantecato is one of the best known. However, most recipes include, even in France,a potato purée, although this is not a true brandade. 

Piquillo peppers stuffed with brandade   serves 4   

12 canned piquillo peppers

For the brandade

225 g salt cod, reconstituted in cold water for 24 hours

300ml milk

1/2 onion peeled

2 sprigs flat leaf parsley

85ml double cream

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

115g floury potatoes, King Edwards or Maris Piper peeled and boiled

1/2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

pinch of grated nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper

freshly ground white pepper

lemon juice

serving suggestion as above

Method

1. To make the brandade, place the cod in a saucepan. Add 100ml of the milk, enough water to cover the cod, the onion half and parsley sprigs.

2. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside and allow the salt cod to cool in the liquor.

3. Once the salt cod is sufficiently cool to handle, take it out and discard the liquor. Flake the salt cod into a bowl, discarding any skin and bones.

4. Heat the remaining milk and the cream in a saucepan. In another saucepan, heat up the olive oil.

5. Mash the boiled potatoes with the garlic and mix well into the salt cod. Beat in the hot olive oil and creamy milk until the mixture forms a smooth, thick paste. Season with nutmeg, cayenne and freshly ground white pepper. Add lemon juice to taste.

6. Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5.

7. Stuff the piquillo peppers with the brandade mix and place in a roasting tray.

8.Put the peppers in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until heated through.

9. Meanwhile, mix together the capers, parsley and tomato. Toss with the olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

10. Divide the salad among 4 serving plates. Top each salad portion with 3 stuffed piquillo peppers. Garnish with more parsley, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

The curry with a tinge on top

Recently found this on the menu of a local Indian restaurant.

One wonders if it is a local delicacy. Needless to say I didn´t ask for the recipe.

What would health and safety have to say on the matter?

It´s enough to put you off your curry. I have also spotted "rabbit in its own juices", 

"big white meaty seaside fish" and the best being 

"should you need anything please inform yourself with the waiter"