# Quick N Easy Portuguese!



## FishFace (Aug 30, 2006)

Growing up around a Portuguese dinner table, I ate and still do eat my fair share of seafood. 

I remember bringing home the day's catch with my father, and he would grill anything from Spot to Blue, and anything in between! I also remember catching fish onthe beach, cleaning them and grilling them withing minutes of the catch! Talk about fresh! This recipe really is the easiest to remember and one of the tastiest to savor... you will need: 

OLIVE OIL (nice virgin, dark colored one)
CILANTRO
COARSE SEA SALT
GARLIC CLOVES
NON STICK COOKING/GRILLING SPRAY

*NOTE: A lot of people might not realize it, but cooking(grilling, baking, broiling) fish whole actually locks in a lot more moisture than stripping the fillets off, and this is most evident if the fish you have is not such an oily fish to begin with (snappers, striper, etc.) Most people have an issue with heads, but a lot of tender meat could be found there! *Cheeks* Personally, i've always left the heads on, but you can do without. 

Anyway, off to this recipe! FIRST step, light that grill...

*Get your Whole, cleaned, rinsed (don't pat dry) & drained whole fish! 

*Take the fish and give it a few scores on each side. Not too deep, but as you cut from head to tail, go shallower - I usually do about 4 slits per side.
*After scoring, take some COARSE sea salt and liberally drizzle on each side of fish.

* LET STAND ROOM TEMP for about 30 mins. I say half hour because at this point you're basically letting the salt "melt" into the scores, seasoning the fish. While you wait, set aside about a cup of high quality Italian/Spanish/Portuguese olive oil in a bowl. Rinse, and finely mince a nice bunch of fresh cilantro/coriander, and COARSLY chop a few nice garlic cloves. In the bowl, wisk this stuff together and let sit.

** When the grill is nice and hot, bring out the fish and the marinade we just made... also, make sure you have some non stick cooking spray on hand so the fish won't stick to the grill. 

* Under MEDIUM/LOW flame, spray the hot grill and put the fish onto the grill. After about 3 mins, CAREFULLY flip it again, and brush the olive oil mixture on the side that's facing up(grilled already). Be generous here with the basting of the fish, but if you get flare ups, I usually use a fine misting spray bottle to put the flames down. Another 3 mins, repeat! Also, right before I'm about to flip the fish, I spray a little bit on the fish again. Baste! keep doing this until you get a nice crisp around the thinnest edges of the fish, like the tail, and use all of your mixture up. 

**** Total time on the grill will depend on the size/thickness of fish, but keep in mind that because it's a whole fish, it can withstand a little more time on there because it's got the bone-in...loses less moisture! Usually a good rule of thumb is: For every INCH of thickness, I usually give it about 4 mins. 

If done correctly, the meat will easily fall right off the bone! 

This was the main dish. We would usually have a leafy green salad with thinly sliced onions, tomatoes, and a dash of oregano(Olive oil, salt, red wine vinegar) Served with the occasional baked potato on the side!

Whip out a nice dry glass of chilled white wine or a frosty beer and enjoy! :beer:


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## Brook (May 27, 2009)

>For every INCH of thickness, I usually give it about 4 mins. <

Fishface, I assume you meant 4 minutes per side???

The general rule of thumb in fish cookery is ten minutes per inch of thickness. And, of course, higher up you did discuss 3 minutes per side. 

Other than that, a nice, simple approach to grilling whole fish. And simple is always a good way to go.


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## FishFace (Aug 30, 2006)

*approx. 3 to 4 mins PER SIDE*

yes, give it about 3 or 4 minutes per side THEN FLIP. Another 3 or 4, FLIP. This keeps from burning too much on either side. You do this in succession a few times depending on size/thickness of fish. Sorry about the confusion...


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## Peixaria (Dec 31, 2008)

Fishface, I as well grew up around a large Portuguese dinner table. I think it strange that Cilantro is not something that is attributed to Americanized Portuguese cooking. Its all about garlic onions and bayleaves on this side of the pond. I never ate a traditional dish with cilantro until attending a family reunion in Lisbon, some 10 years back. It was a delicate shrimp crepe with cilantro, strong but very good. I am proud to say that a large share of the meals I still cook are 100 year old recipes from some of the original New Bedford Portuguese neighborhoods. Squid and Octopus stew, Baked dry Salted Cod fish with potatoe and onion[Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa'], Latria, Kale Soup, Stuffed Quahogs, original Boil dinners, veggies, short ribs and Chorizou, all in one pot, Pau Doce, you get the idea. Same as you, big garden fresh salads and hot bread, and lots of olives and vino. Damn I miss the good times. In her last years I bought my Grandma a big industrial replacement stew pot for Christmas. When she would cook in it she needed a stool in front of the stove. Frequently she couldn't lift it to serve and she made sure that it was my job to carry that heavy sucker to the table. Apple a day keeps the doctor away? , no, just make sure to brush your teeth with olive oil. Peixaria [fishmonger]


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## FishFace (Aug 30, 2006)

*Lmao*



Peixaria said:


> just make sure to brush your teeth with olive oil.


LMAO.... Great to see other portuguese on here as well. Born in the Algarve, moved here when 5 years old....never quite got that fish taste out of my mouth, haha. But if it's one thing I miss from back home it's gotta be the food.


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## Peixaria (Dec 31, 2008)

Been to the Algarve brother,stayed in some sort of university housing when there. Something about all those pathway turrets that were to have lead the monks around. I wonder how they kept themselves from all the tan flesh on the beaches just below. I wish I had photos of the fish markets there for everyone to see. and maybe of the great barbeques where they kick your but with Piri piri sauce. Hope I am lucky enough to get back in this lifetime. Extended family has quinta in Sintra and remember cruising markets and restaurants in Estoril.Never made the clubs as they don't open till 2 in the morning. Ther was also a fishing town about 100 miles to the north when we drove in from the steps of Spain. We dropped 4000 ft in 100 miles coming straight out of Basque country. I think we drove through 2 different levels of clouds descending to the coast. Hope I can get back.


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## Charlie2 (May 2, 2007)

FishFace said:


> LMAO.... Great to see other portuguese on here as well. Born in the Algarve, moved here when 5 years old....never quite got that fish taste out of my mouth, haha. But if it's one thing I miss from back home it's gotta be the food.


As a kid, I learned to eat and make ceviche from the Portuguese fishermen on the docks in Pensacola Florida during the heyday of the red snapper fleets .

It is simple to make without all of the additives added. Also delicious to eat.


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## Peixaria (Dec 31, 2008)

Alright, Seeing as how this thread is still hanging around, I will enter a very easy single pot recipe that my mother taught me to make. It is not traditional Portuguese but you can see the Americanized overtones.

Layered fish stew:
In a medium saucepan [2 1/2 to 3 qt] with a lid. Prepare as follows:
From the bottom up and do not change the order in which ingredients are added.
On the bottom 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. Bright green is best
1 large onion Chopped coarsely
3/4 of a cup of coarsely chopped parsley. either variety
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes, or 8-10 medium size, fresh from the garden. I normally turn this whole can into a mixing bowl and then coarsely chop the whole tomates into about 3-4 sections each. Pour this in on top of what you have so far. Do not stir.
3-4 medium potatoes cut into wedges or slices layered in the pot. I normally use Russets but a white potatoe can be used. I dont think large baking potatoes are suitable.
Now for the fish: I make this with either Drum fish or Mahi. Both ways are tasty You need enough to cover the rest of what you have added. Can be 2 sides from a Bailer dolphin. Or most of 2 fillets from a keeper puppy drum. Cut fillets of either into 3/4 by 3/4 by 2 inch strips and layer them in on top.

Now add 1/2 cup of cheap white wine and fill water to just cover the rest of the ingredients. No salt or pepper yet. Cook for about 40 minutes on medium low heat, keeping the lid closed as much as possible. Do not stir during the entire process and try not to scald the bottom. Its a fine line. Check fish and potatoes for doneness at 30 minutes or so. When potatoes are cooked through remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes Serve with hot crusty buttered bread, salt and pepper to taste and beverage of your choice. The beauty of this is that it is a whole meal in one pot. Cheap and easy to make, easy to clean, and very good nutritionally.


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## Peixaria (Dec 31, 2008)

Like the late great James Brown Said "I'm Back"
Here is another most bad a*s summer salad that my grandmother would prepare as fresh vegetables would be coming off the vine from her garden. You guys reporting in recently on gardening tomatoes and cukes on the lounge channel, listen closely.

"Ma Rodrigues Summer Salad"

Once again attention to order of placement is important, just like the one pot stew previously.

Here is what is needed: cold hard boiled eggs 3
cold - boiled small potatoes, once again something small and firm from the market. No big bakers. I generally quarter them to avoid overcooking. 6- 10
Its best to prepare these 2 in the same pot, drain them off and refridgerate, at least for several hours, if not overnight.
1 Head of Romaine lettuce[I buy the 3 packs]
1 Head of any leaf lettuce [Red leaf is my choice] or if you are in a climate that allows fresh leaf lettuce to come off simultaneously w/ your tomatoes.
Fresh tomatoes- a bunch, 6-10 medium
Green Peppers- 1 or 2, I sometimes use storebought 1 sweet red pepper
Vidalia onions -1 large one is sufficient
Cucumbers- 1 medium
Tuna - It can be 2 6 oz cans of Solid white, any variety. If you have fresh tidbits that would be better. Approx. 12-15 oz.
Crab Meat- It can be canned lump, whatever you can come up with. Most of the time its is most economical to use 1 package of immitation crab flakes[Surimi?] per tray.


Arrange on a large rectangular tray in layers [ I use a 13x21 Pyrex clear baking tray with 2" side walls], but any flat tray will work.
in the following order:
Romaine spears
Red Leaf Lettuce
Vidalia slices 
Cucumber rounds, take the seeds out if you wish.
Green Pepper or Red
Fresh Garden Tomatoes, You are wasting you're time with store bought.
Chilled potatoes, Depending on how youve boiled them they will need additional slicing, for bite size pieces. 
Hard Boiled Eggs- Run these through an egg slicer in 2 directions
Add the Tuna and Crab, or substitute.

The Dressing:
This sounds weird but is most excellent: 
3 TBLS of Helmanns or =
3 TBLS of Sour Cream You need a half and half mixture that is almost a cup. 
Cider Vineager - Thin mixture until you can taste the vineager. Should still be thick.
Now add regular milk and whisk until you have a dressing that will pour, but still has "Ranch" consistency. I mix mine in an old Sour Cream Container so that I can lid it and refridgerate the unused portion. 

The Salad should be a full 2 inches thick when you are finished constructing it. When serving, a high end serrated knife, like a bread knife, and Spatula are the way to go. That way you wont disturb the layering. I cut tall generous squares, just like birthday cake, or huge rockfish. Salt, pepper, and a liberal amount of dressing. Saran wrap leftovers dry, and you can eat this for days, as long as your dressing holds out. I know its a complicated process but you will not be sorry. Fish, Potatoes, all the veggies, once again in the same refridgerated monster tray. Keep the dressing on the side and only use it on the portion you plan to eat.

Don't be a dummy, Try this. I normally am not this generous with family recipes, but for you Chefs on [email protected] Peix, Any questions don't hesitate to ask. This ones for free.


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