Marlene Vieira is head chef at the restaurants Zunzum Gastrobar and Marlene, in Lisbon. On the television program Chef’s Kitchenon the Casa e Cozinha channel, presents recipes, with his own touch, from all regions of the country. Here are five ideas to make this Easter.
1. Trás-os-Montes Folar reinvented
Ingredients
Smoked ear
Alheira
Streaky
Bacon
Meat sausage
Moorish chorizo
300 g of flour
43 g of egg yolk
113 g of milk
5 g of salt
18 g fresh baker’s yeast
113 g of butter
Preparation
Start with the meats, which can be used from the stew, cutting them into small cubes and setting aside.
The dough will be the main change to the original recipe. In a mixer, add the flour, salt, yeast, egg yolks and milk. Beat all the ingredients and, when they are thick, add cubes of cold butter. Leave the dough to rise.
When the dough has doubled in size, shape it into rolls and fill each one with the meat.
Brush a tray with melted butter and arrange the folar rolls. Bake at 180ºC for 20 to 30 minutes.
With the folar already cooked, remove from the oven and unmold.
2. Braga-style cod
Ingredients
Cod
Onion
Garlic
Potatoes
Water
salt
Egg
Sparkling water
Flour
Cress
Baking powder
paprika
blonde
Butter
Oil
Pepper
Maize starch
Oil
Preparation
Start by working the cod. Remove the bones and prepare the fillets. Then, season the cod with paprika, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Wrap everything up and set aside.
With the cod trimmings and bones, make a broth in a pan with water.
The recipe includes an onion made in the form of onion soup. In a pan, heat: onion, sliced garlic, bay leaves, butter and olive oil. Leave it on the heat for around 20 to 30 minutes until it caramelizes. Then add salt, pepper and cod broth.
Cut the potatoes on a mandoline.
When the onion is finished, place it on a platter where we then add a layer of potatoes. Brush the potatoes with butter and place the mixture in the oven at 200ºC for around 30 minutes. The potatoes should brown.
For the batter, you will need flour, cornstarch, baking powder, fine salt, an egg and, finally, sparkling water. Once you have all the elements, wrap them up. Heat the oil in a frying pan. When it is hot, coat the cod fillets in the batter and fry.
With all the elements ready, it’s time to serve. The dish can be served with a fresh watercress salad.
3. Octopus rice
Ingredients
frozen octopus
Onions
Garlic cloves
bay leaf
Red wine
Water
Cloves
Red pepper
Tomato
Oil
Carolina rice
Coarse salt
Peppercorns
Parsley
Blood chorizo
Preparation
Place the octopus in the pan with the onion cut in half and the cloves skewered. Add bay leaves, red wine, garlic and water. Leave to cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave in the pan for another 15 minutes to cook.
Prepare a vegetable base for the rice. To do this, chop onion, garlic, pepper, tomato and chorizo. Place in a pan over low heat and add olive oil. Sauté everything and let it cook.
With the octopus already cooked, remove it from the pan and let it cool. Strain the cooking broth and reserve it for cooking the rice.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and add the rice and broth. Adjust the seasoning (salt and pepper). Stir slightly and place the rice in the oven for 20 minutes until cooked.
While the rice is cooking, separate the octopus tentacles, place on a baking tray and coat with olive oil. Add sliced garlic and also bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the rice from the oven and add the tentacles, finishing with parsley.
4. Vermicelli
Ingredients
300 g of sugar
1.5 liters of water
Coarse salt
Cinnamon stick
Lemon
250 g of vermicelli
20 g of butter
4 egg yolks
100 ml milk
Cinnamon powder
Raspberries
Preparation
The first step is to shred the vermicelli. In a pan, heat the water, sugar, salt, cinnamon stick and lemon peel, stirring until it boils.
Add the vermicelli and butter and stir. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Then mix the yolks with the milk and add to the vermicelli, letting it cook for another five minutes.
Plate the vermicelli and finish with cinnamon powder and raspberries.
5. Sponge cake
Ingredients
8 eggs
6 egg yolks
350 g of sugar
350 g of flour
Gooseberries
Preparation
Beat the eggs, yolks and sugar. This is the secret of sponge cake, so it must be beaten for at least 12 minutes.
Then slowly fold in the flour. At this stage, you can also include currants. But, if you prefer, you can simply keep the dough.
Moisten the pan and line it with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the mold and bake at 220ºC for 20 to 30 minutes.
The sponge cake is ready to serve. Good Easter!
