Growing up in a Portuguese American family, Stacy Silva Boutwell ate fish on Fridays during Lent. And now, with a family of her own, Silva Boutwell continues to follow the Catholic Lenten edict of no meat on Fridays.
“It’s more of a tradition than anything else,” said Silva Boutwell, the force behind the Portuguese American Mom food blog.
But as a busy mom of two toddlers, Silva Boutwell melds Portuguese tradition with a dose of inspiration for the seafood meals in these recipes, starting with a pierogi take on shrimp scampi. “I had nothing ready for dinner and I had a bag of frozen shrimp and a box of pierogies,” she said. One box fed her and her husband, Brian and their two small kids, but for older kids or four adults, she recommends doubling the recipe.
Portuguese-style fried sardines is “one of the easiest recipes ever,” she said. “Just make sure you cook them on low until they’re a dark, golden brown.”
For those unfamiliar with the dish, it starts with sardines from the seafood counter or fish market, not the ones in tins. The oily fish, which average about six inches, are reasonably priced and a nutritional powerhouse, said Silva Boutwell.
In this recipe, they’re “salty, crunchy and the flavor is pretty intense, especially with the pepper sauce,” she said. “I can’t have one without the other and it also flavors the potatoes.”
In the summer, she skips the breading and grills the sardines simply seasoned with salt and pepper.
For another easy dish, try Silva Boutwell’s Bacalhau a Bras. One of the easier salted cod recipes, Silva Boutwell likened this dish to Bacalhau Assado, a time-intensive baked codfish casserole. “It’s like what spaghetti and meatballs is to lasagna,” she added.
Once the French fries are cooked, they’re mixed up with the cod, milk and eggs and fried.
What’s even more delicious, she said, is making the leftovers into to an omelet the next day and serving up as a breakfast sandwich inside a papos secos Portuguese roll.
For more recipes, visit www.thePAmom.com.
Email Linda Murphy at lmurphy@heraldnews.com.
Shrimp Scampi Pierogies
1 pound peeled deveined shrimp
1 box frozen pierogies (I like plain potato and cheddar)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 stick butter, divided
1 shallot (or small onion), halved and sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
In a large covered skillet, place half the butter, water and frozen pierogies over medium heat. Once water has evaporated fully, allow butter to brown one side of the pierogies, flip them and lower heat to low.
In a separate skillet, sauté shallot in oil and remaining butter over medium heat. Add garlic and shrimp and continue to sauté. Once all have been browned nicely, add in parsley. Pour shrimp over pierogies and add in wine and parmesan and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!
Portuguese Style Fried Sardines (Sardinhas Fritas)
1 pount sardines
1 cup white corn flour
1 cup vegetable oil
Sauce (Molho):
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pimenta moida (Portuguese wet crushed red pepper - recipe is on the blog)
2 cloves sliced garlic
Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium/high heat.
Coat fish in flour. Turn heat down to medium/low. Fry on both sides until deep golden brown. Drain on towel.
In a small saucepan, use 1 teaspoon of the oil to sauté garlic for about 1 minute over medium heat. Add in remaining oil and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes over low heat. Pour over fish and prepared boiled potatoes. Enjoy!
Boiled Seasoned Potatoes (Batata Escoada)
2 pounds medium potatoes, unpeeled and slit 1/2 way through
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Boil until very tender. (30-45mins) Serve alone or with molho.
BACALHAU À BRÁS
Serves 6
1 – 1 1/2 pounds salt cod tid bits, soaked, drained and chuncked
7-8 medium new potatoes, par boiled, peeled and cut into matchstick fries
8 large eggs, well beaten
4 onions, thinly sliced in rings
4 garlic cloves, sliced and chopped
4 tablespoons pimenta moida (alternatively 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)
1/2 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more to finish dish
1 cup vegetable oil for frying potatoes only
1 cup olives (optional)
Fry dry cut potatoes in either a skillet with 1 cup of vegetable oil or in a deep fryer until golden. Drain on pepper towels and lightly salt.
Sauté onions in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat. When onions start to take on color, add in garlic, sauté another minute. Add in Pimenta Moida, sauté another minute. Add in chunked cod, continue to sauté a few minutes. Add french fries and stir to incorporate. Add in egg and stir to coat all ingredients in the skillet. Immediately add parsley and stir. Cook until egg is almost set. Garnish with additional parsley, olives and a drizzle of fresh olive oil. Serve hot.