Torresmos - a “crackling” success?

Torresmos ( Crackling )

I have always had an interest in fashion forecasting and predictions of trends to come.In particular, what the journos think we will be eating in months to come is of particular importance to me.

This time last year I noticed  The Huffington post listed among their food predictions for 2012, 'Posh' Pork Scratchings made from British pigs with no MSG (Monosodium glutamate - a common food additive), created by Tom Parker Bowles (Right royal relative)  Matthew Fort (imagined offspring of Elizabeth David and Jack Kerouac ) and posh pig farmer Rupert Ponsonby.

Well fashions come and go but my initial thought was, could pork become as popular as this summer´s peplum was going to be.A summer of pork and peplum, my darlings what heaven that could be. Pork scratchings, the humble and beloved British bar snack,originated in the early 19th century, when the production of meat began to be industrialised. The term literally denotes the scraps from the slaughterhouse floor.The origin of the peplum is more recent and goes back to the 1920's when it rocked frocks in different forms and then had a huge high street revival in the summer of 2012. Two parallel trends were running alongside each other.A  posh version of a food supposedly originated from scrapings off the factory floor that needed to tickle the exacting tastebuds of the average British pub-goer, and a fun jolly pretty dress, of which many I expect, were rescued at the end of the day from the floors of Primark stores. Peplums are most certainly not a look that only string beans can wear.They accentuate the waist to-hip-curve and many big porky bootylicious bottoms sported them this summer. Beyoncé and Liv Tyler were both peplummed out this summer, but would the re-invented pork scratching renamed "crackling" by its modern marketeers get noticed at a red carpet party? The competition was in full swing.The Three marketeers,Parker-Bowles, Ponsonby and Fort aimed to transform the fortunes of these time-honoured little strips of salted "crackling", as rich in lore (the shattered tooth, the scorched pig hair, the rumoured possibility of encountering a nipple) as they are in saturated fat. This was an upmarket revolution based on high-quality ingredients and careful cooking.On the other hand Michelle Williams in Luis Vuitton peplum was not so successful,there was insufficient pork to carry it off.
Traditionally, scratchings are fried and made with the softer, relatively hairless skin with attached fat, behind the hock (back foot) of the pig; crackling is roasted or baked, and can be made from a wider portion of the pig.Every culture has them: foods that only a local could love. In case you’re brave and curious enough to try new things like me, or prefer to be informed of what can be avoided,just try making your own home made version of pork scratchings. International versions include pork rinds and cracklings in the USA, grillons or grattons in France, chicharrones in Central America and the Spanish Caribbean,but no Danish bacon here in Portugal mother,just pure nationally reared belly pork,boiled then fried and called Torresmos("crackling").
Its now Autumn and Lana del Rey is singing her modern cover version of Bobby Vinton´s Blue Velvet and sporting a peplum blouse by H & M Hennes. Peplums are now the new normal,but no good when travelling on a bus.Pork scratchings or crackling might be the new gastro pub grub but whether or not this ethical pub snack,suitable only for people with strong healthy teeth, will take off remains to be seen.My gut feeling is more peplums than packets of pork scratchings have been sold in 2012.Are you a peplum sporter, a crackling cruncher or both? Whichever; if you want to set the pig among the pigeons with your guests here is the pattern, sorry recipe. When I put these on the table to accompany aperitivs at the Thespian´s  father´s recent 80th birthday bash they ran like pigs in a pen off the table and there wasn´t a rustle of peplum in the room.

A Portuguese street vendor selling Couratos a variation of Torresmo

 

Torresmo(Crackling)

• 1 kg entremeada em cubos                          1kg belly pork in Cubes
• 1 colher (chá) de bircarbonato de sódio       1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 dente de alho amassado                            1 clove of garlic,crushed
• Sal e pimenta-do-reino a gosto                     salt and pepper to taste
• 1 folha de louro                                           1 large bay leaf
• 1 colher (sopa) de álcool                              1 soup spoon of brandy
• 1 xícara (chá) de água fervente                   1 tea cup of boiling water

Coloque em uma panela grande o entremeada com o alho, o sal, o bicarbonato, a pimenta, o louro e o álcool. Misture tudo. Acrescente a água fervente. 
 Place the pork, garlic,salt,baking soda,pepper,bay leaf and brandy.mix everything together well and add the boiling water

Cozinhe em fogo baixo por 20 minutos, mexendo de vez em quando ou até secar toda a água e amarelar. Escorra e deixe secar.

Cook over alow heat for 20 minutes,stirring occasionally until all the water has turned yellow and almost all evaporated.Discard the bay leaf.Drain and let dry

Retire e despreze o louro. Frite os torresmos em óleo caldo, em fogo alto, mexendo até dourar. Retire com escumadeira e coloque sobre papel toalha.

Commercial takes on crackling

Heat some oil in a pan or deep fat fryer and when extremely hot  deep fry in batches until golden removing with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel to dry.Serve while still warm

Dicas do Cozinheiro

Rendimento aproximado de 8 porções.

Sirva acompanhado de vinho ou bebida de sua preferência.

O cozinheiro says

Yields approximately 12 servings as a nibble.

Serve with a glass of wine or drink of  your choice

A gastronomia da rua- Portugals street food

Leitão assado - suckling pig on a spit

Autumn is here and the evenings are drawing in.Nights are fresher and cooler but we cant help turning our memories back to a hot sultry summer of street food when we wandered the streets of an evening and enjoyed a street snack or two.In summer all over Portugal from beach to inland town festival we find food we can eat "on the hoof".

Boleeeenhaaaaaasssss

It might be the bolinhas man peddling his doughnuts from a basket on the beach "Bolinhaaaaaaaas,con crema, sem crema." Sunning yourself on a beach towel, this is the sound that  might have raised you from nodding off on your Maeve Binchy to join the queue for a fresh doughnut.
Trolling the Streets of Castro Marim during the four day Dias Medievais festival in August the smoky smell of Chocos assados na brassa (Barbecued Cuttlefish) or Polvo seco assado (dry roasted octopus tentacles) might have tickled your taste buds. Torresmos and couratos, the latter normally on sale at large popular gatherings, such as football matches,are not particularly summer fare. Usually served on a sandwich,and accompanied by a beer. I am saving more on that story for later Kirsty.

No market is complete without the Farturas and churros wagons selling curly whirly doughnut type caky things.
And last, and most certainly not least, throughout summer the sardine season heralds the smell of fresh sardines being grilled on charcoal in the streets of Portugal.The many festivals of Santos populares throughout June are accompanied by stalls selling grilled sardines. 
The characteristic smell of grilled sardines permeates everywhere, during the summer months, when literally tonnes of them are consumed. Natives and tourists alike devour them by the dozen from street vendors, like this one in Lisbon.Put one on a slice of bread and eat it with your fingers while the fat of the fish drips into the bread.You´ll only regret it if you don´t.

"Dont say cheese say Azeitão"

Simply the best,better than all the rest

When you are in Portugal either as a resident or visitor one of your missions must be to try the utterly scrumptious Queijo de Azeitão,this is simply the best, better than all the rest, a concentrated round of sheep's milk cheese that is coagulated with cardoon thistle instead of traditional animal rennet.

 Azeitão is named after the village where it was created in the foothills of the Arribida mountain range just a 40 minute drive south of Lisbon. The pastures where the sheep of Azeitão graze are lush and covered in herbaceous scrub, giving the milk its characteristically rich flavor.It comes wrapped in vegetable parchment or cloth and weighs in with rounds of 100g to 250g sizes.It is cured for either 20 days if produced in the summer, or 40 days if in winter, and has a to die for buttery,semi soft texture with a good dash of piquancy,depending on the age.In my mind one of Portugal´s finest cheeses,this one is so good that unscrupulous producers try to get away with fakes.So be sure to check the label for DOP certification(DOP Azeitão (Estramadura) and be sure you are buying the  real Mccoy from the concelho´s de Setubal,Sesimbra and Palmela. Azeitão has a rustic appearance that adds to its romance. Its texture ranges from soft and unctuous to firm and chewy; you can cut open the top and scoop its yellow cream onto slabs of nutty bread. Azeitão was awarded name-protection (Denominação de Origem Protegida certification, DOP), elevating its stature in both Portugal and abroad.
And most of all, avoid becoming a social outcast by remembering that Azeitão is eaten with a spoon,not cut, and try it with marmelada,a stiff quince paste.
The flavour is strong but tends to be the most palatable of Portugal´s “stinky cheeses".If you have never tasted Portuguese cheese before, this is a great starting place! Pair Azeitão with a Tempranillo or Albariño. 

Feira de Praia Vila Real de Santo Antonio

Every year around this time in October the town of Vila Real de Santo Antonio sees a fair dating back to 1774, the founding date of the town. It always coincides with Hispanic Day (Día de la Hispanidad) or Spanish National Day (Fiesta Nacional de España) which is an annual national public holiday in Spain on October 12,commemorating Christopher Columbus first setting foot in the Americas in 1492.Taking into account this date, the fair not only relies on  but sees many Spanish visitors from neighbouring Ayamonte and beyond.

The festival gives Portuguese and Spanish traders an opportunity to "do business"  and many more visitors the chance to pick up some household, may I call it tat or should I call it tut, alongside the opportunity to perhaps purchase some more useful bargains.Stalls stretch the length of the Avenida Republica and in the Marques de Pombal Square.

The Feira da Praia is the name by which this event has been known since its incarnation and relates to its location, on what were once the sands of the beach of the River Guadiana.The festival was originally created as a means of broadening the social and economic status of what was once a village, and with the aim of promoting its fisheries.

If you have found no joy in unnecesary purchasing along the Avenida Republica,turn your direction towards the town square (Marques de Pombal)where as a foodie you will soon  find all one needs for recipes incorporating the most of Portugal´s autumn flavour cornucopia.

The square is "reserved" exclusively for food products.From a dried butterbean to a salted cod piece or a smoky sausage, to dried fruits for the christmas cake and stalls proffering artesan cheese and pickles from across the country, you are hard pressed not to go home carrying a basket laden with Algarvian and Alentejan goodies.And this is not taking into account the temporary "taverns" where you can coiff a glass of red wine and take a bite on a previously unknown cheese and a chunk of artesan bread.

Hurry now and catch the last two days of this annual showcase of the best of traditional Portuguese foods.

I´m just mad about saffron

Worth its weight in gold

Spanish food lovers argue that their azafran (saffron from the plains of Castilla-La-Mancha) is unrivalled across the world. They have even nicknamed it ‘oro’, gold.I would tend to agree.

Saffron was introduced to Spain by the Moors in the tenth century. (Its name derives from an Arabic word of unknown origin, za'faran.)and Spain is now the second largest saffron producer in the world, after Iran.

For two to three weeks each October, Spanish growers and their families will be pushed busywise.The reason being - the saffron harvest.With the searing summer heat now passed, villagers will flock to nearby fields and begin the arduous task of plucking purple crocus heads.The source of this complexity is the crocus flower´s style,which carries tiny trumpet-like,orange-red stigmas.The flowers grow close to the ground, must be hand picked and the yellow staining stigmas then carefully removed and dried.

These blooms containing these strikingly coloured stigmas are, when dried,  the much sought after saffron – the world’s most expensive spice.

There is no machine that can strip the saffron flowers, just as there is no mechanical way to speed up their harvest. Hardworking hands must process about 250,000 flowers to produce just one kilo of dry saffron. Hence the spice's astronomical price. Only after having gathered about 14,000 stigmas will there be enough to make just 28g of the spice. Like freshly roasted coffee beans and vanilla pods,saffron has one of those almost indescribable yet addictive aromas.Descriptions include honeyed,floral,spicy,pungent,bitter,woody and earthy.Saffron´s affinity with foods common to the countries of its cultivation has continued through the centuries.During the Middle Ages, the use of saffron in cooking spread throughout Europe. Today it still perfumes rice in Persian polos, it is the defining ingredient in Kashmiri biryanis, Italy´s risotto alla milanese, Spain´s paella, the bouillabaisse of Provence and Portugal´s caldeirada de peixe and is essential to the cuisines of India, Morocco, and Iran. It has also been coveted throughout history as a dye, a perfume, and a medicine. Alongside Don Quixote, Manchego cheese and the Man of la Mancha, the hit of the 1965 Broadway season,  the show that introduced "The Impossible Dream" to the world (and lounge singers everywhere!!!), Castilla-La-Mancha can rightfully hail its saffron to be one of its most famous exports.

Saffron, the lady of La Mancha and most exotic of spices, is a perfect partner for infusing with alcohol.Only a pinch of saffron is needed for most dishes.A large pinch equals about one teaspoon (100mg) and a small pinch,1/4 to1/2 teaspoon (25-50mg).Amounts can be adjusted according to taste,however too much will make a dish taste bitter and medicinal.Before being added to a dish saffron threads should be crushed to a powder with the back of a spoon and then infused in a hot fat-free liquid such as water, white wine or citrus juices.Try one of two versions of the Alchemists pudding, my tart based recipe and Adrian Henry´s inspired take on this same dessert in his new book Cuoco.

Lassi comes home

Salt, yoghurt and water -how simple is that?  Its been a while since I last saw lassi, but with the best Flor de sal in the world to hand I decided to tame my very own domesticated Algarvian Lassi.All you have to do is make the basic salt lassi and then choose from hundreds of flavours that might appeal to your palate.My choice was Portuguese mangoes which are at their best right now-their sticky syrup seeping from the core.

Salty Lassi is good for digestion and is very cooling to your body on a hot summer´s afternoon. It is also not fattening as  it does not require any sweetener such as sugar.

You can use full fat milk if you are not particular about watching your calorie intake.

You only need plain yogurt and water to make basic lassi. Add salt to make it a salt lassi.

You can use an electric blender, hand blender or a wooden or metal beater to make lassi.

Ingredients to make 2 glasses of lassi:

• 1 cup chilled plain fresh yoghurt).
• 1 cup cold water.
• Flor de sal to taste.
• Ice cubes.

Making Salt Lassi:

1. Add yogurt, water and salt to the blender.
2. Blend well till frothy.
3. Pour in glasses and top with ice cubes.

Tips:You can add different flavourings to make the salty lassi spicy according to your taste. 

You can add any one or a mix of the following spices and herbs. You can add them one at a time to get a variety of salt lassi each time or you can add them together in the combination you like.

For example: I tried making it with salt ginger and cardamom powder. At other times I use rock salt only. You can make your own combinations.Curry leaves, Kaffir lime leaves,cumin, pepper.

Mango lassi with optional salt and cardamom

1 quantity(as above) basic lassi
I fresh mango pulped
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Put all the ingredients in a 1 litre blender jug and blitz with a stick blender until frothy.Serve with ice cubes.


Other options:
Banana lassi

Cumin and mint lassi

Chocolate mint

Fresh ginger /ground ginger

Pepper

Um jantar simples - Arroz com erva limao

a simple supper of lemongrass fried rice

We eat and serve rice fairly frequently at Casa Rosada. Most of the time I cook plain boiled rice or herb rice. Today I added a twist and tried rice cooked and flavoured from from our garden, with fresh lemongrass which has now grown to ornamental proportions. I made the rice as a side dish to grilled chicken.Much to my amazement I was left with a massive amount of leftover rice.I had misjudged all my proportions and cooked for six instead of two (as one does Huh).

So, if you were wondering what would be a great make-ahead item that you could leave in the refrigerator, and still retain its incredible flavour when re-heated, well this is it. Make a big bowl of this fried rice and enjoy it as a side dish. The left over recipe is then very quick and simple,and if you have some leftover chicken it’s even tastier. I used leftover grilled chicken, but any cooked and shredded chicken would work.The basic rice is cooked in advance and the cooked chicken added with the egg at the last minute.The twist here is that in a normal scenario you make leftovers from the remains of a main course here you are making a main course supper dish from the leftovers of a side dish.

For the lemongrass fried rice 

Vegetable oil
1 onion diced
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
3 stalks lemongrass, minced white part only
2 cups cooked rice
juice of 1 lemon
In a large non-stick pan,heat alittle bit of oil.Sauté the onions,garlic,ginger and lemongrass until they soften but not brown.Add the cooked rice and continue to cook for about 5 minutes until heated through.Add the lemon juice and salt (optional).Serve with chicken or seafood,

For the egg fried twist

2 eggs

2tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

200g (7oz ) long grain rice (uncooked weight), cooked and left to go cold

100g(4oz) frozen peas, defrosted(rinse under the tap to do this quickly

4 spring onions finely chopped

1-2 tsp soya sauce

freshly ground pepper

Beat together the eggs and sesame oil and put to one side.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan.When its shimmering and almost smoking,add the lemongrass rice and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until completely heated through.Add the peas and spring onions.Continue stir frying,turning the rice constantly around the pan for about 3 minutes.Season well to taste with the soya sauce and pepper,then scoop to one side of the pan.Pour the beaten egg mixture into the other side and leave for about 10 seconds so it begins to set.Using a chopstick,briskly swirl around the egg to break it up and then toss it around with the rice.Stir fry for a further minute and then serve immediately

Tão felizes juntos,uma trindade

So happy together autumn fruits and pork bring about a menage a trois

So happy together, nudged up,like jitterbug jiving GI´s or lindyhopping wartime couples on a crowded and hot dance floor, sweetly basting the pair on the hop next to them.So too the close proximity of succulent, juicy, late summer or early autumn fruits and chunks of pork skewered up tightly together, creates a marriage of flavours when their juices start to perspire, mixing and mingling.
I have taken my inspiration here from a recent recipe in the Observer by Mr Nigel Slater.I had an idea in my back head to combine pork and mango on a skewer and then grill it.This has been on my “To Do” list longer than clean out, paint and insulate the garden shed and wire up the lights in the gazebo.All these were on my top ten of things to do before I turned sixty.Alas that day has long since passed. Oh well,Fruit with meat a do or a don´t? I have never been a great fan of the fruit and main course combo, but this works wonderfully. My original idea was to grill the pork and mango skewers quite simply but serve them up with a satay sauce.Mr S´s idea is far simpler, more sophisticated and modern.I opted out of his mustard and olive oil marinade and went for something that introduced a few more flavours and ones that would intensify the juiciness and sweetness of the fruits.

Pork plum and mango skewers

A fruity exuberant dish that comes flying off the grill like Lindbergh´s pioneering aeroplane flight across the Atlantic in 1927

Serves 4

800g pork loin cut into cubes

4 plums red or yellow,halved or quartered depending on size of the plums

1 large  ripe mango cut into cubes the same size as the pork

FOR THE MARINADE

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsps soy sauce

2 tbsps dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsps olive oil

2 tsps rosemary

salt

pepper

Bring together all the ingredients for your marinade and toss in the pork cubes,mixing them well to coat in the marinade.Leave aside for a couple of hours.Meanwhile soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water.When ready to go thread the pork on to the skewers alternately with the pieces of fruit.Heat a griddle pan to a smoky hightemperature and then rest the skewers on the grill turning each one frequently to avoid any hint of a "black bottom stomp".Keep turning until the meat is cooked through and the fruit juices are sizzling over the meat.
Serve with piri piri potato wedges

Salata de presunto Serrano e rucula com Requeijao e molho de Roma

There´s no such thing as a free lunch? Well it was as good as.This weekend I popped out to the shop to pick up some milk and on the way back passed a hedgerow laden with ripe pomegranates.Branches were bending under the weight of  abundant fruit and many of the fruits themselves had split open,a sure fire sign that a pomegranate is ripe and ready for the picking.So pick them I did,well I made a bold start as this hedgerow ran for several hundred metres so I shall have to return to finish my plundering, as nobody else appeared to show any interest or want them.What a scoop, they are not even in the market place yet.Their loss my gain.

Serrano Ham and Rocket Salad 

with Requeijao and Pomegranate Salsa                          This is very much an autumn salad – walnuts and pomegranates are perfect right now. Simple in its execution and not too heavy, it is a lovely way to begin a meal.This vibrant dish, layered with wild rocket leaves, soft dollops of fresh Portuguese curd cheese and fine slivers of salty serrano ham,dressed with a pomegranate salsa and topped with chopped walnuts is the sort of composed salad that showcases seasonal ingredients.

1 large shallot,finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Flor de sal

2 tablespoons home made pomegaranate molasses

1/2 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil

seeds of 1 small pomegranate

freshly ground pepper

1 handful per portion of wild rocket leaves

2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley chopped

100g very finely sliced Serrano ham

crumbled requeijao ( or other fresh moist curd cheese)

handful of chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl mix the chopped shallot with the lemon juice and Flor de sal and leave to rest for 5 minutes.Stir in the pomegranate seeds, pomegranate molasses, parsley, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.(You can make this ahead and refrigerate overnight).Toss all the rocket leaves in a small salad bowl with the pomegaranate salsa and then arrange a handful of dressed leaves on each plate.top with shreds of the Serrano ham followed by the dollops of crumble curd cheese finish with a scattering of chopped walnuts and a further soonful of the pomegarante dresing over and around the salad.

figs in a blanket

Everyone loves pigs in a blanket – tiny sausages wrapped in bacon – it suddenly makes me feel a lot like Christmas, but it is only the beginning of October and the sensuous, succulent Figos pretos are abundant, so lets put Christmas on the back burner and enjoy these fruits of early autumn in all their gorgeousness.

Have you ever tried this spin-off?  Prosciutto wrapped around fresh figs? I have made a mix of mascarpone cheese and Dijon mustard and then stuffed the figs,wrapped each one in an extremely thin slice of presunto serrano and then finished with a topping of coarsely chopped pistachio

Pairing the fresh, savoury flavour of prosciutto with sweet rich figs and then stuffing them with this Dijon mustard-based cream creates a contrast of the lightly vinegared mustard and naturally sweet mascarpone.Topping the figs with coarsely chopped pistachios gives the dish a nutty salty finish.A decadent appetizer or hors d'oeuvre to boot.Bom apetite