What would global cuisine be without Portugal?  From spices and fortified wines to seafood and confections this Western European country has introduced the world to a bevy of flavors.  While only the size of Indiana, the sunny, the pint-sized land has nonetheless profoundly influenced what we eat.

Portugal’s culinary prominence began in the 15th century.  At that time Portuguese explorers established an invaluable spice route from their homeland, around Africa, to India.   These intrepid travelers transported a treasure trove of Eastern seasonings, including cinnamon and pepper, to the rest of the world.  

The early traders didn’t stop with spices.  They brought lemons and oranges from the East to Europe and Ethiopian coffee to the Americas and, most importantly, to Brazil.   They also took crops such as maize, potatoes and chilies from the Americas and shipped them around the globe.

As the sailors traversed the seas, their own foods began to infiltrate other countries.  Portuguese pork stews inspired spicy Indian vindaloo while battered, deep-fried fish and vegetables were the origins of Japanese tempura.  Sweet, egg-based custards and salted cod likewise began popping up in the cuisines of Spain, France and Italy.

Along with food, Portuguese drinks spread across the continents.  Crisp vinho verde and sweet, fortified wines from the island of Madeira and northern Portugal’s Douro Valley won over oenophiles.   Strong in alcohol content and flavor, Madeira and the Douro Valley’s port wines were consumed as apertifs, dessert wines or nightcaps.     

In present time Portuguese cooking often gets confused with Mediterranean fare.  Granted, both do rely heavily upon olive oil and garlic.  Yet, besides bordering the Atlantic Ocean and not the Mediterranean Sea, Portugal possesses a long list of unique, local, non-Mediterranean specialties. 

At the top of the list is salted cod or bacalhau.  Nicknamed “fiel amigo,” which means “faithful friend,” this salt-preserved fish stars countless recipes.   Because of regional variations, locals say that in Portugal you can enjoy a different salt cod meal every day of the year.
   
This passion for bacalhau stems from practicality.   Caught by Portuguese fishermen off the coast of Newfoundland, the once-plentiful cod had to be preserved or else it would spoil on the long trip home.  Salted and then sun-dried, it kept for months.  
   
Its firm texture, non-fishy flavor and wide availability won over and kept the Portuguese populace enamored for centuries.  Even a cod shortage wouldn’t end this love affair.   The country now imports its bacalhau from Norway.            

As Portuguese-American restaurants tend to feature salted cod, you won’t need a passport to taste this tangy fish.   At New York’s Aldea restaurant bacalhau appears in salt cod croquettes and with eggs, black olives and potatoes while in Sonoma, Calif. LaSalette offers a traditional casserole of salt cod, potatoes, onions and olives.  
   
Bacalhau can be found at seafood and specialty shops and online from such purveyors as Portuguesefood.com.   Before cooking, allow the cod to soak in fresh, cold water for 12 to 48 hours, changing the water periodically.   Soaking will reconstitute the fish and diminish its saltiness.  

Although salted cod may be the pièce de résistance, there are other notable seafood offerings.  These celebrated dishes include grilled sardines, steamed goose barnacles, salt-baked sea bass and clams "à Bulhão Pato," clams cooked in olive oil, garlic and cilantro.  

At the other end of the taste spectrum is the ambrosial pastry known as the pastél de nata.   Sweet and creamy yet endowed with a slight crunch, this small custard tart lines the windows of bakeries and coffee shops.  So popular is the treat that outside of Lisbon at Pastéis de Belem customers stand in line for up to 20 minutes just to order one.

Portuguese gourmand and IT professional Miguel Baptista is one of pastél de nata’s many fans.  “We eat it with joy and smiling faces!  It's a good mid morning or mid afternoon snack and for social gatherings like birthday parties, weddings, divorce parties, corporate meetings, etc.  It's common to have an espresso and a pastél de nata,” says Miguel, who resides outside of Lisbon in the seaside town of Cascais.

What makes this pastry so delicious? Perhaps it’s the de nata’s light shell. Reminiscent of puff pastry, its airy crispness provides the perfect contrast to the velvety custard. 

Then again, the custard may be the key.  Whipped together from fresh cream, egg yolks and sugar, the warm, luscious filling is blanketed with cinnamon and a smidgen of powdered sugar.

Just what would the world’s cuisines be without Portugal?   Undoubtedly, they’d be far less colorful, flavorful and exciting than they are today.  
 

Pastéis de natas
Makes 12

8 ounces light cream
2 large eggs
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of ½ lemon
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
flour, for dusting the work surface
cinnamon, for decorating
confectioner’s sugar, for decorating
Special equipment:  1 non-stick, 12-cup muffin tin
 
To make the custard, whisk together the cream, egg yolks, egg, flour, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a medium-sized saucepan.  After ensuring that no lumps exist, heat the mixture over low heat, stirring the entire time.  Once the custard has thickened and can coat the back of a wooden spoon, remove from heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the thawed sheet of puff pastry a clean, lightly floured work surface.   Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry until it is about ¼-inch thick.  Brush water across the top and then tightly roll it so that you end up with a long cigar.   Cut off the uneven ends and then slice the pastry into 12 1-inch pieces.  Leave one piece on your work surface and refrigerate the rest until ready to use. 

Lay the first slice on its side and, pressing down, shape it into a 4-inch circle.  Fit the pastry over the bottom and sides of a muffin cup.  Repeat these steps for the remaining 11 pastry pieces.                 
 
Spoon the custard into the muffin cups.  Smooth out the tops and then bake the pastéis de natas until they are golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool in their pans.  Dust the tops with cinnamon and confectioner’s sugar.  Serve warm.


Clams à Bulhão Pato
Serves 4 to 6

Named for the 19th century Lisbon poet and gourmand Bulhão Pato, this clam dish can be used as a first course or a light meal.  Before cooking the clams, remember to discard those with broken or open shells. 

1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup dry white wine
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 dozen small clams, preferably Littlenecks or Manila, scrubbed and rinsed
juice of 1/2 lemon
¼ cup cilantro, chopped

In a large, lidded sauté pan heat the olive oil on medium.  Add the garlic and sauté until slightly golden.  Pour in the wine, black pepper and clams, place the lid on the pan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the clams have opened.  At this point remove any clams that did not open.

Spoon equal amounts of Clams à Bulhão Pato into four to six bowls.   Sprinkle the lemon juice and cilantro over the clams.  Serve with crusty white bread. 

 
Salt cod and potato casserole
Adapted from Jean Anderson’s “The Food of Portugal” (William Morrow, 1986)
Serves 6

1 pound salt cod, soaked in water for a minimum of 12 hours and then drained
6 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds new potatoes, peeled, boiled until just tender and thinly sliced
1/3 cup parsley, minced
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ cup bread crumbs, lightly toasted under the broiler
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 2-quart casserole or baking dish. 

Place the cod in a saucepan, pour the boiling water over it and then simmer over moderate heat for 10 minutes, until the a fork can flake the fish.  Drain and rinse the cod and then flake it into small pieces, removing any skin or bone that may come with the fish.

In a large sauté pan melt the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add the onion and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes.   Place the onions in a bowl and then add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the sliced potatoes to the pan.   Cook for 5 minutes. 

Place half the potatoes in the buttered dish and season them with a bit of pepper and parsley.   Spoon in half the onion and then the cod.  Repeat.  Sprinkle the top layer with the grated cheese and bread crumbs and any remaining ground pepper.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until brown on top.   Scatter the leftover parsley over the top and serve.  
         

© 2010, Kathy Hunt. Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc.