Portuguese Rice Pudding: Arroz Doce

There are various recipes for rice pudding the world over, and this is one from Portugal. I checked several recipes for this Portuguese rice pudding, which is common for holidays and other special events in Portugal, and the Portuguese recipes can vary somewhat; for instance, a smaller number of recipes use orange peel and juice instead of lemon peel and juice, and an even smaller number of recipes use a few drops of vanilla, but from what I found, mainly the lemon peel (or orange peel) is left to flavor the rice on its own.

 

If you use non-salted butter, you can add a good pinch of salt to the milk while it's heating. This recipe cooks the rice more than partially, but finishes cooking the rice in the sweetened and lemon flavored milk.

 

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings):

 

1 cup arborio rice

1 1/2 cups water 

2 cups milk (I use 1 cup of canned evaporated milk, not condensed milk,  and 1 cup regular milk)  

3/4 to 1 cup sugar (to desired sweetness preference)

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons salted butter (divided use)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

zest of one lemon, grated or finely chopped

ground cinnamon for topping large serving bowl or for individual servings

 

To a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 1/2 cups of water plus 2 tablespoon (salted) butter. Stir and bring to a boil, then add the rice and turn the heat to very low and cover the pan; let cook for 15 minutes, by which time the rice should be almost done; sort of "al dente." If so, remove the rice from the heat. This step overlaps with the rice cooking; so, while the rice is cooking, in another somewhat larger heavy-bottomed pan, heat the milk over medium heat. After it is no longer cold, add the sugar and stir well to dissolve it. Let the milk come just to the point of simmering, and then add another tablespoon of butter and the lemon zest, stir well again. Turn the heat down to low or very low and add the rice to the milk mixture. Beat the eggs in a small bowl, then add some of the hot milk and cooked pudding and keep whisking to temper the eggs, then whisk it into the pudding, along with the lemon juice. Traditionally, the Portuguese use ground cinnamon to make a design on top of the pudding, with religious people often making a cross, but stencils are sometimes used for various designs. If you're like me, and you're not terribly artistic, you can just sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top of the large dish used to serve the pudding, or onto the tops of individual servings (as in the photos, below). 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Vicinity-This word is related to the "-wick" and "-wich" of place names (such as in Warwick and Norwich), both "-wick" and "-wich" are from the Germanic roots of English, but Old Germanic had borrowed the source from Latin in ancient times, and "vicinity" is related to "villa," another Latin derived word, but borrowed by English from Italian, and to "village" and to "villain," both Latin-derived words, but borrowed by English from French. "Vicinity" goes back to Indo European "weik," which had the notion of "settlement, house, abode:" thus also, "villa, village." This gave Latin "vicus" meaning "series or collection of homes;" thus also, "a village." This then produced the Latin adjective "vicinus," which was used as a noun for "area in close proximity;" thus also, "a neighborhood;" thus also adjectivally, "neighboring," and this gave Latin the noun "vicinitas" (accusative: 'vicinitatem'), meaning "neighborhood, the area near to a given point;" thus, "nearness." Latin-based French took the word as "vicinité" and English borrowed the word in the mid 1500s, initially with the "nearness" meaning. The word is likely more of a borrowing from French, but with Latin influence, although it could be the other way around.  

Portuguese Seafood Rice: Arroz de Marisco

"Arroz de Marisco" is one of the iconic dishes of Portuguese cuisine. Although recipes vary, especially about the types of seafood used, shrimp is included in almost all recipes, with 2 or 3 other types of seafood often chosen by its availability from among: scallops, mussels, crab, lobster, squid and various choices for white fish, like cod ('bacalhau,' in Portuguese; that is, salted and dried cod),* halibut, haddock.   

If you shell and clean the shrimp yourself, you can use the shells to help make stock for the dish by adding the shells in with the shrimp when you initially cook the shrimp. Just use the large parts of the shells so that it is easy to pick the shells out of the liquid. You don't have to clean and shell the shrimp, you can buy them already cleaned. Trust me, the earth will not stop turning based upon whether you cleaned the shrimp yourself. You will use about 1 1/2 cups of this liquid for the recipe (see below). You can buy the clam juice used in the recipe in supermarkets or perhaps in some fish and seafood shops. It comes in bottles. This rice isn't meant to be completely dry, where it has absorbed all of the liquid; so, don't cook it until that happens. When the rice is tender and the fish and scallops are cooked, that's it, IT'S DONE! Some good crusty bread is excellent for sopping up the remaining broth.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 servings):

 

1 pound cleaned and shelled medium shrimp

1/2 pound scallops (bay or sea scallops out of their shells)**

1 pound firm white fish (for the photos below, I used halibut), cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 cups arborio rice 

1 cup chopped onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil + (likely) 1 more tablespoon olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup clam juice

1 1/2 cups cooking liquid water from shrimp

1 good pinch of saffron threads, or 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground white pepper (or ground black pepper)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon salt 

 

Put the shrimp (and shells, if using) into a pan over medium heat and cover them with water. Bring the shrimp to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let cook until the shrimp are almost done. Save 1 1/2 cups of the liquid for the recipe (discard any shells used), and cut the shrimp in half (across, not lengthwise). Set the shrimp and the reserved liquid aside.

 

I use a large skillet, but you can use a heavy-bottomed pan. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet/pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and stir it around a little and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes before stirring in the minced garlic and the chopped red bell pepper, and stir the ingredients around until the bell pepper softens somewhat. (If at some point, you feel another tablespoon of oil is needed, add it.) Now add the arborio rice and let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring the ingredients around occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Add the white wine and stir, then crush the saffron threads in the palm of your hand and add them to the pan (or stir in the turmeric, if using), along with the white pepper, stir again until the liquid is almost absorbed by the rice, then add the clam juice and do the same, stirring until it is almost absorbed. Now mix the salt into the liquid from the shrimp, and add this liquid to the pan, stirring again. Add the bay scallops and stir and mix them into the rice (the rice should still be in the process of absorbing much of the shrimp broth). Then add the pieces of white fish and the chopped cilantro and mix them into the rice. The scallops and the fish should cook pretty quickly. Add the shrimp halves and mix them into the rice; cook only until the shrimp is heated through and the rice is tender. Any excess liquid if fine, the dish is usually served that way, with bread served to help sop up the broth.   

 

* Portugal is known for its dried, salted cod called 'bacalhau.' The country is home to hundreds of recipes for bacalhau. Portugal imports much of its dried, salted cod from Norway, taking virtually all of the Scandinavian country's cod available for export. 

 

** If you use sea scallops, which are larger than bay scallops, cut them into 3 or 4 pieces.

 

'Arroz de Marisco' with some sliced tomatoes and crusty bread ... 

WORD HISTORY:

Reply (Replicate)-"Reply" is related to quite a number of words, including: "plait/pleat," "complex," "complexion," all Latin-derived words borrowed from French/Anglo-French, and it's related to "flax," a word from the Germanic roots of English. "Reply" goes back to Indo European "plek," with the notion of "to plait, to fold together, to weave or braid." This gave Latin the verb "plicare," meaning "to fold," and "replicare," with the "re" being a Latin prefix generally meaning "again, back. "Replicare" meant "to fold back," but also, "to repeat," and later also, "to respond." "Replicare" gave Old French "replier," meaning "to fold (up), to refold;" that is, "to fold again;" thus, "repeat," and "respond." English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1300s as "replien, which then became "replyen," before the modern form. The English meanings were: "to make an answer to something (including in the legal sense of  'answer an accusation or charge'), oppose, retaliate." The noun developed from the verb in the mid 1500s with the meaning, "a written or a voiced response to something."

Madeiran Tomato Soup with Onion: Sopa de Tomate e Cebola

Madeira is a group of four islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 325 miles west of Morocco and about 675 miles from mainland Portugal. The four islands are: "Madeira" and "Porto Santo," both of which are inhabited, and also "Desertas" and "Selvagens," which are uninhabited. Madeira is a constituent part of the Portuguese Republic, commonly simply referred to as "Portugal."

 

While such soup is available on the mainland of Portugal, it is a popular staple in Madeira, and there are varying recipes. I've seen this dish made as more of a "stew," in that it was cooked over low heat for an hour or more, with little or no liquid added, except for that of the tomatoes, and this produced a very thick dish; but on the other hand, I've seen it made as a true soup, with plenty of liquid. You can certainly use all fresh tomatoes, or all canned tomatoes, but I decided to be steadfast (haha) and to use some of both, and if you make this, you'll have no doubt that it is made with tomatoes, as that is the overwhelming taste that dominates. Since tomatoes are very acidic, I list the option of using a little sugar to offset the acidity, but I actually only found one recipe that used some sugar, and I probably looked at a dozen recipes. Just for the record, I use 1/4 teaspoon sugar sprinkled over the soup and then stirred into the other ingredients near the end of cooking.    

 

 

Ingredients (6 to 8 servings):

 

1 to 1 1/4 pounds of ripe tomatoes, blanched and skins removed

1 can of whole peeled tomatoes and juice (28 ounces)

1 baseball size onion, chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 heaping tablespoon cilantro (coriander) leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth (depending upon desired thickness)

(optional) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar

eggs

1 slice rustic bread for each egg (on Madeira, many use the flatbread made there*)

Blanch the fresh tomatoes in boiling water briefly and remove the skins, then roughly chop the tomatoes. (Bring enough water to cover the tomatoes to a boil. Before adding the tomatoes, use a sharp knife to cut through the skin of each tomato and make an 'X,' this will make the tomatoes easy to peel.) Add the olive oil and the chopped onion to a heavy-bottom pan over low heat. Let the onion saute for a few minutes until it starts to soften, then add the fresh tomatoes and canned tomatoes with juice. Let the mixture come to a simmer and then add the chicken broth and adjust the heat to low and add the white pepper, garlic and bay leaf, cover and continue to let the soup simmer. When the tomato and onion are well softened, add the chopped cilantro and simmer for another one minute. Remove the bay leaves, then use an immersion blender (stick blender) to "smooth out" the soup, but you can leave about a third of the ingredients in pieces to give the soup some texture. I've seen recipes that poach the eggs in a separate pan, but I've seen recipes that poach the eggs in with the soup; I poach them separately. When serving, add some soup to a bowl, add one of the poached eggs, and serve with a slice of bread. I've also seen some people serve the dish by putting a slice of bread in the bowl first, then adding the poached egg followed by adding the soup. 

 

* For Madeiran sweet potato flatbread, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2023/04/madeiran-sweet-potato-flatbread-bolo-do.html 

     

 

WORD HISTORY:

Butcher-This word, used as a noun and a verb, is related to "buck" (a male goat or deer), a word from the Germanic roots of English. The noun "butcher" has an uncertain origin, as both Old Germanic and Old Celtic had similar words, and there is some question as to whether Germanic got its form from Celtic, or if Celtic got its form from Germanic, and Celtic and Germanic did have large amounts of contact back in ancient European history. On the other hand, Old Germanic and Old Celtic are Indo European languages, and for both to have similar forms of a word is hardly astounding.^ Anyway, Indo European had "bhug," meaning "male goat or antelope type animal." This gave Old Germanic "bukkaz" with the same meaning, which then gave Frankish^^ "bukk," with the same general meaning. This was absorbed into Old French as "buc," then as "bouc" meaning "male goat," and this gave Old French the noun "bouchier," meaning "one who slaughters goats," and the word was rendered as "boucher" among the descendants of the Normans in England. English borrowed the word circa 1300 as "boucher" with the meaning "one who slaughters animals and prepares them for sale at market." The mid 1400s saw the borrowed use of "bocherie" (from French "boucherie") as both the name of "a place that slaughtered animals and then prepared and sold them," and as the name for the profession that did such, and it later became "butchery," although the compound "slaughterhouse" rose to become the more common term for the business place itself (both "slaughter" and "house" from the Germanic roots of English). "Butchery (and "slaughter") also later added the meaning "horrendous, barbaric killing(s)." The verb form of "butcher" is from the mid 1500s and meaning "to kill and prepare animals for food," and about a hundred years later the figurative meaning developed, "to mangle or mess up something (usually by incompetence)," as in, "The singer butchered the lyrics to the song." Buck-The Old Germanic form gave Old English "bucca" (male goat) and "buc(c)" (male deer), and these then combined to become "buck," "a male animal of certain species." Circa 1300, the word was also used for "man," then as "young buck," for "a young, energetic and virile man," and later (early 1700s?), "a well dressed man," and also used derogatorily in American English for "young male Indians" and "young black men." Relatives of "buck" in other Germanic languages: German has "Bock," Low German "Buck," Dutch "bok," West Frisian "bok," Danish "buk," Icelandic "bokkur," Norwegian "bukk (?), Swedish "bock," all generally meaning "male animal of certain species like sheep, goats and deer."  

 

^ Keep in mind, it doesn't really matter to the rest of the history of the word if Germanic had the word from its Indo European parent, or if it had borrowed it from Celtic, because Germanic passed it on to its Germanic offspring, including English.

 

^^ Frankish was the language of the Germanic tribe the Franks. The Franks conquered much of what is modern France (then called Gaul), but their language did not overtake the Latin already firmly establish there, but rather, over centuries it was absorbed into what came to be called "French," a word from Frankish (France is another such word).   

Madeiran Sweet Potato Flatbread: Bolo do Caco

Madeira is a group of four islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 325 miles west of Morocco and about 675 miles from mainland Portugal. The four islands are: "Madeira" and "Porto Santo," both of which are inhabited, and also "Desertas" and "Selvagens," which are uninhabited. Madeira is a constituent part of the Portuguese Republic, commonly simply referred to as "Portugal." Madeira is most famous for its wine with the well thought out and original name "Madeira," a favorite of mine; the wine, I mean, but the name's nice too.

 

This flatbread is not typically made very thin; and in fact, it is able to be cut open into two distinct pieces of bread. They, therefore, can be used, and are also used, to make sandwiches.  

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 packet yeast

1 pinch sugar

3/4 to 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups lukewarm (NOT HOT) water (hot water will kill the yeast)

oil for cooking (small amount for each flatbread)

Wash the sweet potato, then prick the skin with a fork or knife a few times. Microwave (or bake in an oven) until tender; then let cool a bit, cut the potato open and scoop out the flesh and mash it well. It is best to rub your hands with some vegetable oil or olive oil before handling the dough, then mix the mashed sweet potato and all other ingredients together to form a dough; it will be sticky, so that's not abnormal. Remember too, the dough's color will be influenced by the color of the sweet potato you use. Cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 45 minutes to an hour to rise. Then divide the dough into balls of a size that when you flatten them, they will fit into the skillet you will use. Pat the dough balls into rounds about 1 inch thick, like a thick pizza crust ("Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker's man, bake me a cake as fast as you can, pat it, pat it and mark it with a 'B' and put it in the oven for baby and me." Wow, I haven't heard that for a while; at least 3 or 4 years.). Put the patted out rounds onto a plate and cover with a dish towel or paper towel; let them sit in a warm place for about 30 to 40 minutes. Put a small amount of oil (I use olive oil) into the skillet (I've used both a cast iron skillet and a nonstick skillet to make these), over medium heat. Regarding the oil, the thing is, you don't want the bread to be greasy when done, but you also don't want it to stick to the skillet. Once it is in the skillet for a brief period of time, it will begin to form a crust; and thus, it will be far less likely to stick. The same thing will happen when you flip the flatbread over. I flip the bread over 2 or 3 times, and it's okay if the two sides have dark spots form on them; that is typically how they are served. I've seen some people describe the Bolo do Caco as being similar to the texture of English muffins, and that's a pretty good comparison; crusty chewy outside, soft airy inside.      

Serve with garlic butter (1 softened stick of butter, 1/2 teaspoon freshly minced garlic, 1 heaping teaspoon finely chopped chives) 

 

 

Spread with garlic butter ...

WORD HISTORY:

Prey (Predation/Predator)-"Prey" is a word that was originally a contracted base word with a prefix. The main body of the original word is related to "apprehend" and "comprehend," both Latin-derived words borrowed by English from Latin, and to "prison," a Latin-based word borrowed by English from French. The first part of "prey" goes back to Indo European "per," which meant "before, in front, forward," and this gave Latin "prae," meaning "before," which was used as a prefix to form words. The second and main part of "prey" goes back to Indo European "ghed" meaning "to seize, to take, to hold," and together this and the prefix gave Latin the noun "praeda," meaning "that which is taken in war;" thus, "plunder, booty, spoils," and also, "animals that are hunted, game that is hunted," with this meaning also coming to be used for "animals hunted by other animals," and the Latin form passed into Old French as "preie." This was borrowed by English in the mid 1200s, with the French spelling, and the use also was extended to "a weak or helpless person." The "plunder, spoils" meaning didn't really remain in common usage in English to the present, and is archaic. The verb developed circa 1300 from the noun, but also with influence from French "preer" (to pillage, to ravage), which traces back to the Latin verb "praedari," meaning, "to seize or take by force, to rob, to pillage." Predation, not a terribly common word nowadays, but it is still around, and likewise, it goes back to Latin "praedari" (to seize or take by force, to rob, to pillage), and the derived Latin noun form "praedatio," meaning "the act of pillaging, plundering" with its accusative form, "praedationem," providing the basis of the English noun "predation" (initially as "predacioun?") also meaning "the act of pillaging, plundering," later taking the meanings from the noun "prey," as the "pillaging" meaning began to fade. Predator; that is, an animal or species involved in "predation, the act of certain animals to hunt and kill other animals," with that meaning then being used for "humans who take advantage of the weaknesses of other humans or animals," and later also applied to humans who "exploit age or weakness to gain sex from someone" (sex/sexual predator). This word is from Latin "praedator," which meant "plunderer, pillager," and it was borrowed from Latin in the second half of the 1500s.   

Portuguese Black-Eyed Peas & Tuna Salad: Salada de Feijão Frade com Atum

Black-eyed peas are really a type of bean originally from Africa and brought to the New World by African slaves. They are eaten in several African countries like Senegal, Nigeria and others, as well as on many of the Caribbean islands, and they are popular in the American South and in parts of Brazil, especially in the Bahia region of that large South American country. The Portuguese likely took black-eyed peas back to Portugal from Africa and also from Brazil, which was a colony of Portugal for over 300 years until the 1820s. 

To keep things simple, I use canned black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, but you can certainly use dried black-eyed peas, soak them and then cook them (2/3 cup dried black-eyed peas makes about 2 cups cooked). Further, I use canned tuna in olive oil, although sometimes I buy tuna in olive oil in a jar.   

Serve as a lunch dish or as a light evening meal with some crusty bread, or serve as a side dish or appetizer for a bigger meal.

 

Ingredients (4 to 6 serving, depending upon main dish or appetizer): 

 

2 cans black-eyed peas (15 to 16 ounces each), rinsed

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or cilantro)

1 or 2 cans tuna in olive oil, flaked*

3 teaspoons white wine vinegar 

(optional) sugar to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon ground white (or black) pepper

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon salt  

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped or cut into wedges

In a bowl, add the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, parsley and flaked tuna; in a cup or a small bowl, add and mix the vinegar and oil (and sugar, if using), then pour it over the salad ingredients, toss to mix; season with white or black pepper and salt; top with chopped hard boiled eggs or hard boiled egg wedges.

 

* I use one 12 ounce can (it has 9 ounces of drained tuna), but you can use smaller cans, like 6 ounces with "about" 5 ounces drained; so, you should buy two for this recipe.  

 

 

WORD HISTORY:

Cologne-This word is both the name of a city and a name for a product of alcohol, water and fragrant oils. "Cologne" is closely related to "colony," a word from Latin, and it's related to "culture," another word from Latin. "Cologne" goes back to Indo European "kwel," which had the notion, "move around, to turn or turn around;" thus also, "upend, revolve." This gave Latin "colere," meaning, "to till the land" ("move and turn the land over for planting"); thus by extension, "to cultivate, to farm;" thus also by extension, "to settle, to dwell." This produced the Latin noun "colonus," meaning, "settler, farmer;" thus also, "tenant farmer." This then gave Latin the noun "colonia" meaning, "settlement, large amount of cultivated land;" thus, "an estate," then also used for "land conquered, settled and occupied by Roman soldiers beyond Rome." What became the city of "Cologne" was founded by the Germanic tribe the Ubii" a few decades before the Christian Era and it was known to the Romans as "Oppidum Ubiorum." Agrippina, the daughter of a famous Roman general, Germanicus, was born there circa 15 AD/CE, and she later was the wife of the Emperor Claudius, whom she persuaded to raise the city's status to that of a "colony;" with the name "Colonia Agrippina" being used, although often rendered as simply "Colonia," which in German became "Köln." The name for the scented product came in the 1740s from Italian born^ Giovanni Maria Farina who moved to the city of Cologne in the early 1700s (he then apparently took the German form of "Giovanni;" that being, "Johann"), and he founded a company making "cologne," known to some by its French name, "Eau de Cologne" ("Water of Cologne") 

^ Farina was born right by the border with the Italian part of Switzerland (about 8% to 8 1/2% of Swiss are Italian speaking).

Portuguese Fried Fish Fillets: Filé de Peixe Frito

It's not uncommon for the Portuguese to simply fry fish in hot oil: no flour, no egg, no batter, just fish with head on in oil. Others may dredge the fish in some seasoned flour (some use corn flour), and then there is this method, which at first glance, you may think old Randy has wrongly typed into the text. What do I mean? Well typically, fish or other food items that are breaded are dipped into beaten egg, THEN tossed or rolled in flour or breadcrumbs. The Portuguese reverse the process by putting the fish into flour, then dipping the floured fish into beaten egg. When I first saw this, I was positive the author had made a mistake, but then I saw other recipes with the same process. It's all quite easy, made easier if you have a deep fryer, which will make the frying much faster, but you can put enough oil into a skillet to cover the bottom with about 1/4 inch of oil (more is even better, of course) and fry the fish that way, turning them over a few times to be sure they cook evenly. The fried fish fillets are often, but not always, served with Portuguese Tomato Rice,* and it's my understanding that some Portuguese serve the fillets with fried potatoes, perhaps in imitation of British fish and chips. You can buy pre-cut fish fillets, or you can cut the fillets yourself, but try to keep the fillets at about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thickness. The time needed to cook thick fillets will likely result in the breading being too dark or even burned, and Portuguese fish fillets are a nice light golden color.

 

Ingredients (4 or 5 servings):

1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (cod, haddock, sea bass and halibut are all good for this)

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sweet Spanish paprika (naturally Portuguese, if you have it)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

3 eggs (might require another egg)

2 lemons, cut into wedges

oil for frying

 

Heat the oil over medium heat. While the oil is heating, the breading process is simple and you will only need two shallow dishes. Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. In the first dish, add the flour, salt, sweet paprika, garlic powder and white pepper, then mix everything together well. In the second dish, add the eggs and whisk them briefly (we're not looking for frothy eggs!). Put a fillet into the seasoned flour and turn it to coat (don't forget the sides), shake lightly to remove excess flour and then dip the fillet into the beaten egg to completely coat it. Again, let the excess egg drip off. Put the fish fillet into the hot oil and quickly bread and add another fillet to the oil. Don't put too many fillets into the oil at any one time (I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet, and fried two fillets at a time). Turn the fillets a couple of times to be sure they are cooked through. The frying should take about 5 to 8 minutes for two fillets at a time, depending upon the thickness of the fillets and the temperature of the oil (if you use a deep fryer, it will likely take a couple minutes less time to cook them). Put the fried fillets on a platter lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve with tomato rice or fried potatoes and with a lemon wedge or two for each serving.    

 

* For the recipe for Portuguese Tomato Rice, here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2021/09/portuguese-tomato-rice-arroz-de-tomate.html

 

  

WORD HISTORY:

Program-This word is most commonly spelled "programme" in Britain. The main body of the word is distantly related to "carve," a word from the Germanic roots of English, and it is more closely related to the many words with the endings "gram" and "graph" ("gram" is not always a suffix), which are of Greek origin (examples: cardiogram, anagram, grammar, phonograph, photograph, pictograph). The "pro" part of the word goes back to Indo European "per," which meant "in front, in advance, before," and this gave transliterated Ancient Greek "per(i), which also meant "before." The "gram" (gramme) part of "program" goes back to Indo European "gerebh/gerbh," which meant "to scratch," which back a few thousand years ago had the further notion of "writing;" that is, "to scratch on stone or clay tablets with a sharp instrument." This gave transliterated Ancient Greek "graphein," meaning "to scratch, to carve;" thus also, "to write." The two parts together gave transliterated Ancient Greek" "prographein," meaning "to set forth to the public." This gave Greek the noun "programma," meaning "a written notice to the public," which was borrowed by Latin as "programma," meaning "a proclamation," and French took it as "programme." English borrowed the word in the 1630s from French (especially in the spelling "programme"), but with heavy influence from Latin. Gradually, the meaning began to move much more toward "a written agenda or plan of events," frequently regarding music entertainment, which later came into use for a schedule of radio shows, then later still, for television. The use of the word for computers dates to the end of World War Two and the use of "(computer) programs" dedicated to carry out specific tasks. The verb form came from the noun in the 1890s meaning, "to arrange in some order to be followed," and the mid 1900s saw the verb applied to computers for "to cause a computer or computers to take some course of action in an automatic way."    

Portuguese Tomato Rice: Arroz de Tomate

This is a pretty common Portuguese dish. I've seen recipes that use both short-grain or long-grain rice; so, use what you have or prefer. You can use any kind of ripe tomatoes. I used Roma tomatoes, which tend to be smaller, so I use 4 tomatoes, rather than the 3 I have listed in the recipe.  

 

Ingredients (4 to 5 servings):

 

1 cup rice

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro (or parsley), chopped

2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt (optional if you use "salty" broth)

3 tablespoons olive oil 

6 or 8 black olives, halved

In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and then saute the onion until it starts to soften, then add the minced garlic. Saute for about another minute or minute and a half. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook a further two minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice, coating the rice well. Now stir in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low or very low and cover the pan with a lid or foil. Cook until the liquid is just absorbed, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro (or parsley). Top the individual servings with some black olive halves.  

WORD HISTORY:

Monsoon-This word goes back to transliterated Arabic "wasama," which meant "to mark (something), to give a name, identity or description to something." This produced Arabic "mawsim," meaning "a time of year;" thus also, "a festival or holiday of a time of year;" thus also, "a season (time of year)." Portuguese sailors and explorers borrowed the word in the 1500s as "monção," with the "season" meaning pertaining to "the trade winds in the Indian Ocean." The next step has some uncertainty, as Dutch "seems" to have borrowed the word as "monssoen" from the Portuguese, but as the Dutch also sailed the Indian Ocean in those times, they could have borrowed it from Arabic speaking people in that region, just as the Portuguese had done. English borrowed the word from Dutch, but likely with Portuguese reinforcement, in the latter part of the 1500s. The winds associated with "monsoon" helped ships travel the Indian Ocean, but these winds also brought rains; thus, the meaning in English of "heavy rain," or "rainy season."    

Portuguese Pork & Clams: Carne de Porco à Alentejana

This wonderful representative of Portuguese cuisine is really not hard to make, although it is not typically a dish to be made if you are in a hurry, as it "should" marinate for a number of hours before cooking. In her book, "Portuguese Homestyle Cooking," Ana Patuleia Ortins writes that the name of the dish implies its origin was in Alentejo, but that some believe it actually originated in the Algarve region, which is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal; and thus, bordering on the Atlantic Ocean, which makes seafood plentiful and a large part of the regional cuisine. Alentejo is just above the Algarve region, but Ana Patuleia Ortins does not give her opinion as to where this dish started. There are a number of variations to this dish and crisply fried diced potatoes are a common accompaniment, with some even adding potatoes to the dish itself. Traditionally it is made with lard, but some have switched over to making it with olive oil, so I compromised and made it with olive oil and some rendered pork fat. 

Ingredients:

1 to 1 1/4 pound pork, cut into bite size pieces
about 15 to 18 small fresh clams, shells cleaned.
3 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 tablespoon rendered pork fat or lard
1/2 to 2/3 cup white wine
2 teaspoons sweet paprika (Spanish sweet paprika, if you have it; it's smoky)
1 large tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons piri piri Portuguese chili sauce (you can substitute Tabasco or Franks pepper sauce)*  
2/3 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon salt (later can add more to taste, if desired)

In a large bowl, add the pork pieces, sliced garlic, paprika, chili sauce, white pepper and salt. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 or 4 hours, although 8 to 10 hours is better, if possible. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and pork fat or lard. Add the ingredients from the bowl and saute the pork, stirring and turning the pork pieces to lightly brown them. Add the chopped tomato pieces and white wine, reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil; cook, stirring and turning the meat occasionally, until the pork is tender. Add the clams and cover the skillet again. Check after about 5 or 6 minutes. The clams should have opened; if not, give them another minute or two, and tap lightly on any that haven't opened, if they still do not open, then discard them. Serve with extra chili sauce on the side.  

* Long ago Portuguese explorers led to Portugal's involvement in parts of Africa, such as in what are modern Angola and Mozambique, for example. This brought about their attachment to a small African chili pepper commonly called "piri piri," which they then used to make a hot pepper sauce bearing the same name. It is a common condiment in Portuguese homes and restaurants, and also used as an ingredient in some Portuguese recipes. It is "similar" to Tabasco sauce or Frank's Red Hot Sauce. It is available in "some" parts of the United States where Portuguese immigrants established communities.    

I put the fried diced potatoes on the left side of the plate, but some serve the port and clams on top of the potatoes.

WORD HISTORY:  

Cuspidor-The main part of this word is distantly related to "spew" and to "spit," both words from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to Indo European "spyu," which meant "to spit, to discharge fluid from the mouth." This gave Latin "spuere," which meant, "to spit." The first part of "cuspidor" goes back to Indo European "kom," which had the notion "by, with, near, beside." This gave Latin "com," and its variant form, "con," both meaning, "together, with," which were common prefixes, and at times used as prefixes of emphasis (intensification). Together the two parts gave Latin "conspuere," meaning, "to spit, to spit at or upon." This passed into Latin-based Portuguese as "cuspir," meaning, "to spit," and this produced the Portuguese noun "cuspideira," meaning, "a container for spitting;" thus, "a spittoon." This was borrowed by English in the 1700s, although it seems to have taken until the late 1700s to become more firmly established. 

Portuguese Chicken Piri Piri

In Portuguese this is called, "Frango Piri Piri." The small, hot, red chili peppers used by the Portuguese, "piri piri" (the term is from Swahili), are a common addition to a number of Portuguese recipes. They are a cousin to tabasco peppers and they vary from about 40,000 to more than 100,000 units on the Scoville Heat Scale for chilies. They come in jars in a vinegar brine and they can be a bit hard to find in the United States, although perhaps not in areas where many in the population have Portuguese heritage, like in parts of New England, California and Florida, where imported Portuguese products are likely more common. You will definitely find them online. Now, if you don't have these exact peppers, do not despair, as you can use just about any very hot chili pepper.

When I made this dish, I was just astounded by how good it was. I had piri piri peppers in a jar, and the brine was not overwhelmingly vinegary. You don't have to make it so hot that all you experience is heat from the chilies, but there's no question, if you have any nasal congestion, you won't have it after eating some of this chicken, but the flavor of the overall sauce was so good, I found it hard to stop eating. The great flavor also limits the amount of salt you'll need. 

Question: When Portuguese men grow old, are they called, "Portugeezers?"

Ingredients:

1 chicken, butterflied (often small chickens, like Cornish hens, are used by the Portuguese)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
8 to 10 piri piri in brine, along with a tablespoon or so of the brine.
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

This chicken is commonly grilled in Portugal, but you can roast it in a 400 degree (F) oven. Blend all ingredients, except chicken, to a consistency you like. I like chunky sauces, but most recipes I've seen for this make the sauce fairly smooth. Lay the butterflied chicken in a shallow dish and pour the sauce over it. Turn the chicken and thoroughly coat it. Cover the dish and refrigerate several hours, up to 12 hours. Reserve the excess marinade sauce to baste the chicken if you're grilling it. If you keep any of the sauce for serving, you must heat it, as it had been in touch with raw poultry. I roasted the chicken in the same pan I used to marinade it, along with the excess marinade, and I spooned some of the sauce over the chicken 3 times during the cooking process. I let the chicken roast for about 65 minutes, to let the skin begin to show some charring. 

WORD HISTORY:
Geezer-This word is distantly related to English "wise" and "wit," but especially to the use of  "wise" as a suffix (examples: "likewise, clockwise"). It goes back to Indo European "weid," which had the notion "to see;" thus, "to know how to go, proceed." This gave its Old Germanic offspring "wisaz," with the same meaning, and an altered form, "wiso," for a noun, with the meaning, "way, manner, custom, condition." ^ This gave Old Frankish, a Germanic dialect/language, "wisa," with the same meaning. This was borrowed/absorbed into Old French as "guise," with the same meaning, but including, "manner of dress," then later also, "manner of cover or cloak." This was borrowed into English in the latter part of the 1200s. From this was formed "guiser," meaning, "person in disguise, or wearing a mask." In London, some came to pronounce it as "geezer," and it simply meant, "a man" (during the 1500s?). In North America it took on the meaning "an old man" during the second half of the 1800s. It is an example of a Germanic word coming into English (a Germanic language) in an altered form from a non Germanic language.

^ The Germanic form gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "wise" (back then pronounced as today's word, but the ending "e" was pronounced "eh").

Portuguese-Style Beef Pot Roast/Stew (Alcatra)

This very easily prepared Portuguese recipe, called "Alcatra" ("rump steak") in Portuguese, is from the Azores (Portuguese: Açores, see Word History below), more particularly from the island of Terceira, one of the nine islands in the Atlantic that form the Azores, which lie more than 800 miles from mainland Portugal. The Azores compose a part of the Portuguese Republic. I read over a number of recipes for this dish and some called for white wine, some for red wine and some had either. I used white wine, because I already had a bottle! The next time, I will use red wine. All but one recipe used either chuck roast or rump roast, which was then cut into chunks, but the one used already cut stewing meat, and that's what I chose to use also. From what I read, rice is often served with this dish, although a couple of recipes served it with potatoes cooked with the meat, including one that kept the skins on. The dish is traditionally cooked in a clay pot in Portugal. As I've noted many times before, I'm a mashed potatoes guy, so that's what I had with this beef dish.  

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef stewing meat chunks
5 strips thick sliced bacon, cut into smaller pieces (you can trim some of the fat off, if you'd like)
2 large onions, sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cloves
10 black peppercorns
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups white (or red) wine
2 tablespoons butter
water, as needed (or enough to cover, see below)

Heat oven to 375 F. Use the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan or ovenproof dish you will be using. Add the pieces of beef, bacon, onion and garlic. Mix things around, so that the bacon, onion and garlic mix in with the beef. Add the bay leaves, the ground cloves, the peppercorns and the salt, then pour in the wine, and add water to make sure the beef is covered. Float the butter on top. Cover and bake for one hour fifteen minutes, then reduce heat to 325 F, bake until meat is tender, likely "at least" another 90 minutes, but well worth the wait, even if it takes two more hours. You can take the lid off for the last half hour or so of cooking, if you'd like, even if the meat is no longer covered in liquid. 

WORD HISTORY:
Azores-This word for the Portuguese islands in the Atlantic, the first part of which is distantly related to "edge," with the second part distantly related to "feather,'' with a closer relationship to "pen" (writing implement), goes back to Indo European "ak," which had the notion of "sharp, pointed." This gave Latin "acies," meaning, "point, edge," which provided a form for the first part of Latin "accipiter," which meant "hawk." The second part of "accipiter" goes back to Indo European "pethr/pethn," which meant "feather." This gave Italic "petn," meaning "feather, wing feather," and this provided Latin with the "piter" part of "accipiter." This gave Portuguese "açor," meaning, "hawk, goshawk" (a more specific type of bird of prey, literally, "goosehawk"). The plural in Portuguese, "açores," came to be applied to the islands in the 1500s, "supposedly" because the birds were often seen there. This was borrowed by English with the spelling "Azores."   

Portuguese-Style Spicy Shrimp (Camarões á Portuguesa)

This is my own variation on a recipe from, "Portuguese Homestyle Cooking," by Ana Patuleia Ortins, Interlink Books, 2008 edition. The Portuguese title of the recipe, "Camarões á Portuguesa," is taken from the book. This is not a dish that will make your mouth melt with heat, but if you like more heat, add a whole chili or two.

Ingredients (about 6 to 8 servings):

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2/3 cup chopped tomato, with juice
1 bay leaf
1/2 jalapeño or serrano pepper, finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
2 pounds shrimp *
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for a couple of minutes until the onion is softening, then add the garlic, tomato and chili pepper (fresh or dried), cook 2 minutes, then reduce heat to low, add the wine and bay leaf, cover and cook for another 5 minutes, before adding the shrimp, cilantro and salt. Simmer just until the shrimp are tender, do not overcook, unless you want shrimp that are tough. Remove the shrimp from the pan and put them into a serving dish or into individual serving dishes. Melt the butter in the hot broth. The author says her father never pureed the broth, and that she does so only occasionally, but the broth is used as a dip for the shrimp. I did not puree the broth, and the oil and butter in it almost silky.    

* The actual recipe calls for this to be "peel and eat shrimp," and thus, the shrimp are in their shells. I used cleaned (deveined), tail on shrimp of medium size (41/50 per pound).

 WORD HISTORY:
Portugal-This name for the country on the Iberian Peninsula, and neighbor of Spain, which borders it to the north and east, is a compound of Latin "portus" and "Cale." The first part is related to "port" (a word English borrowed from Latin), and distantly related to "ford" (an original English word from the Germanic roots of English). It goes back to the Indo European root "per," which had the notion of "cross over, to pass over or through." This then produced the extended "perts," meaning "crossing." This gave Latin "portus," which meant, "harbor (also spelled, "harbour," British English and many former British colonies), "seemingly" from the idea of, "a place, or the place, a ship docks after crossing a body of water;" thus also from an extended notion, "entrance to a city" (later, regardless of being on or even near water). The Romans had named a prominent harbor city, in what is now Portugal, "Portus Cale," which later came to be applied to the entire area of what is now Portugal, and the city came to be called, "Oporto." The second part of "Portugal" comes from "Cale," a word somewhat disputed in its history, but which I believe comes from the name of one of the Celtic tribes of that region, the Gallaeci, whose related branch to the north gave their name to a large area of western Europe, and Roman province, "Gaul." "Portus Cale" morphed into "Portungale/Portyngale," before the modern version. 

Portuguese Bread Soup (Sopa Alentejana)

This soup comes from the region of Alentejo in Portugal. It is easy and quick to make. One thing, it is very garlicky, so if you're going to be doing any kissing, have the other person eat the soup too. That should cancel out the garlic breath... Well... that's my theory, anyway. I've read several recipes for this soup and most use one egg per serving, but I made mine with two. This is one of the BEST soups I've ever had. I make it often. 

Ingredients (4 servings):

4 slices of stale French or Italian bread from a bake shop,* cut or torn into bite sized pieces
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 teaspoons parsley, chopped
4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
little sprinkle of salt to each serving (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper per serving
32 ounces chicken stock (low fat and low sodium is fine)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 8 eggs (depending upon 1 or 2 per serving)

Tear or cut the bread into bite sized pieces. Spread the bread pieces into your serving bowls. Drizzle one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over the bread pieces in each bowl; and on the bread pieces of each bowl, sprinkle one tablespoon of cilantro, one teaspoon of parsley, one large clove of chopped garlic, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil, then reduce the heat until the broth is barely at a simmer. Poach the eggs to the desired state of doneness (see Word History, below), then remove the eggs from the broth and place into the individual bowls. Pour equal amounts of broth into each bowl. Ready to go.     

* I cannot speak about other countries, but in the U.S., the mass produced sliced white bread labeled, "Italian," just doesn't do it for me for a recipe like this. I'm not putting it down, because I actually use it for sandwiches in preference to what is often termed, "sandwich bread."

 

WORD HISTORY:
Do-This common word is related to "deed" and to "doom," both words from the Germanic roots of English, and "do" goes back to Indo European "dhe," which had the notion, "to make, to bring about (later in English, as in, "to do harm"), "to be engaged in an activity (later in English, as in, "they got ready to do battle"), to put." This gave its Old Germanic offspring, "donan," which only survived in the West Germanic branch (English is West Germanic) of Germanic as, "don," but with the same meanings. This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "don," again with many of the same meanings, initially. It was not until the latter part of the Middle Ages that the word was commonly finally shortened to "do." The other West Germanic languages have: German "tun," Low German Saxon "doon," Dutch "doen," West Frisian "dwaan." ("Done" is the participle form of "do," with "doneness" being a derived noun, with the attached suffix.)

Portuguese & Brazilian "Green Soup": "Caldo Verde"

 

Edited for clarification purposes 11-21-21

"Caldo Verde" is a traditional soup from Portugal, also made in Portugal's former colony of Brazil. It is typically made with a type of cabbage grown in Portugal and the neighboring Spanish province of Galicia, but this cabbage is very tough to find outside of the above mentioned area; however, there is a suitable substitute, kale. Further, the Portuguese and Brazilians use their own "chouriço," or "linguiça," both types of sausages which are, again, not always easily found elsewhere in the world, but Spanish "chorizo" is much more readily available, and is "similar." (Note: This is the dry cured Spanish chorizo, not Mexican chorizo.) These Portuguese and Spanish pork sausages are flavored with paprika, with the Spanish version tending to have more paprika. In Portugal, this soup is traditionally served with Portuguese Cornbread ("Broa de Milho"), a crusty topped cornbread, somewhat different from American cornbread, due to its crusty top and dense interior, and it is made using yeast. While this is my own version, the basic recipe and information was from "Culinaria, European Specialties, Volume 2," chief editors: André Dominé and Michael Ditter; Christine Westphal, editor, Könemann Publishing,  Cologne, 1995

Ingredients:

1 lb. kale, with large stems removed, then chopped or torn into smaller pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 to 12 oz. chorizo, sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 cups water
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon pepper (white or black, but white is more common in Portugal, from my understanding)
drizzle olive oil on each serving

Simmer the sliced chorizo in the water for a couple of minutes, remove the chorizo, but keep the now flavored cooking water. In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat, add the onion, salt, garlic and potatoes, stir well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup of the reserved chorizo-flavored water, stir well. Adjust heat to simmer the soup for about until the potatoes are softened, but still firm and not mushy. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then, using a stick blender, puree (also spelled, 'purée') the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the heat (medium heat, and if you want to thin the soup more, add the remaining chorizo-flavored water). Add the kale and pepper, stir well. Simmer to just soften the kale some ("about" 3 minutes; it should keep a nice green color this way). In each serving bowl, add 3 to 5 pieces of chorizo, then add the hot soup over it. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil onto each serving.

 
WORD HISTORY:
Cauldron-This word for "kettle" goes back to Indo European "kelhe," which had the notion "warm, hot." This gave its Latin offspring "calidus," with the same meaning, and this produced "calidarium," meaning "warm or hot bath." This then gave Latin "caldaria," meaning "cooking pot, basin," which gave Old French, a Latin-based language, "chaudron," meaning "kettle," and this was rendered as, "caudron/cauderon," in the northern dialects of Old French, and it was borrowed as "caudron" into English circa 1300, with the spelling "cauldron" coming a little later by influence of the Latin form.