On this episode of Coastline Cooks Jamie and guest, Maria Lawton, cook two delicious Azorean style dishes. Maria Lawton is the author of the cook book titled, “Azorean Cooking’ in which she recreates her favorite family recipes. You can also find her recipes at her website: azoreangreenbean.com. These recipes are not only simple and fresh but also inexpensive crowd pleasers. In the first recipe hake, a delicate white fish similar to tilapia, is poached in a rich and healthy homemade tomato sauce filled with onions, garlic, and fresh parsley. In the second recipe cavacas, or Portuguese style popovers, are prepared. These delicious pastries can be served as dessert, breakfast, or as a savory addition to dinner. Be sure to give these dishes a try for your next family dinner or dinner party!
Fresh Poached Hake in Tomato Sauce Recipe
This recipe is a very simple fish dish and can be made with any type of white fish. I prefer using fresh cod or hake and I always buy half a pound of fish per person, because I like to serve ample portions to my guests. But you really can’t go wrong with this very simple and quick recipe.
Recipe serves 4
Ingredients:
2 lbs of fresh Hake, cut into portions
2 lbs of ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 large sweet onions, sliced and cut in half
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
6 Tablespoons of olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the pan
1-2 tablespoons of the chopped hot pepper sauce
2 cups of white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they turn a nice golden color, about 15 min. Next, add the garlic and mix well with the onions. Then add the chopped tomatoes with their juices, wine, salt and pepper and the hot chopped pepper sauce. Stir everything together thoroughly, then lower the heat and simmer everything together for about 30 min. You’ll notice that the tomatoes will breakdown and the sauce will begin to thicken. At this point you can start to add the portions of fish and lay them on top of the tomato sauce. Season the fish with salt, pepper and paprika, and sprinkle the parsley on top. Use the lid to cover the pan for about 5-10 minutes or until the fish is cooked to your liking. The steam will poach the fish faster then you think, especially if the fish is a thinner fillet. So keep a good eye on it.
I love to serve this dish with a nice green salad, some fresh bread and a great glass of wine. Enjoy.
Source: Azorean Cooking by Maria Lawton
Portuguese Popovers/Cavacas Recipe
These light pastry popovers are covered with a sugar glaze and are usually made around the season of Carnivale. Because this was of my mother’s favorite treat, my family usually had it at every special occasion. Some people make them in bite size, but I like it best in the larger size and smothered in sugar glaze with lemon zest in it.
Ingredients:
Cavacas:
2 Cups of flour
1 Cup of oil
½ Cup of whole milk
8 eggs at room temp
Sugar Glaze:
2 Cups of Confectioner’s Sugar
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons of Milk (more or less depending on the thickness you like)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease regular size muffin tins or popover tins.
Using an electric mixer beat all ingredients for at least 20 minutes without stopping.
I highly recommend using a stand mixer on this recipe with the mixer set on level 6.
Fill the muffin or popover tins no more then half way.
Bake on the middle rack; for moist Cavacas, bake for about 45 minutes; but if you like them on the dry side, bake for 1 hour. They will get to a nice golden color and “popover“ the pans.
While they are still warm, spoon the glaze over each one or just submerge each one in the glaze. Either way you can’t go wrong.
Serve on the same day, since it will dry even more for the following day.
Makes 24
Source: Azorean Cooking by Maria Lawton
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