Milk Street Portuguese Favorites (Ep 504)

Portuguese Sponge Cake (Pão de Ló)
Begin to end: 45 minutes (25 minutes lively), plus cooling
Servings: 8 to 10

Outdoors Lisbon, house prepare dinner Lourdes Varelia baked for us a basic Portuguese sponge cake known as pão de ló. Its outward look was, to us, uncommon—deeply browned, wrinkly and sunken, and the dessert was dropped at the desk within the parchment during which it was baked. And one other shock was in retailer: slicing revealed a layer of gooey, barely baked batter between the higher crust and the ethereal, golden-hued crumb. Candy, eggy and tender, the unadorned cake was easy but supremely satisfying. When making an attempt to re-create pão de ló at Milk Road, we turned to a recipe from “My Lisbon” by Nuno Mendes, who, in an unusual twist, provides olive oil, giving the cake delicate fruity notes together with a bit extra richness. We adjusted ingredient quantities and added some baking powder as insurance coverage for a lofty rise; we additionally modified the blending technique and the baking time and temperature. The cake is scrumptious with Mendes’ steered garnishes—a drizzle of
extra olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt—however it additionally is great with contemporary berries and evenly sweetened whipped cream. Leftovers will preserve in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as three days.

Don’t overbake the cake. One of the best ways to check for doneness is to insert a toothpick 2 inches from the sting, not into the middle of the cake; the toothpick ought to come out clear. The kind of cake pan—dark-colored nonstick or standard light-toned metallic—impacts how shortly the cake bakes, so the recipe contains two completely different baking occasions, one for darkish pans and one for gentle. Don’t be alarmed if the cake sinks and shrinks dramatically and types folds and creases because it cools; that is regular.

INGREDIENTS
120 grams (1 cup) cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3⁄8 teaspoon desk salt
4 massive eggs, plus 4 massive egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
214 grams (1 cup) white sugar
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS
Warmth the oven to 375° with a rack within the center place. Minimize a 12- to 14-inch spherical of kitchen parchment. Mist a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the pan with the parchment spherical, pushing the paper into the sting and in opposition to the perimeters of the pan, permitting it to kind folds and pleats. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the entire eggs, egg yolks and vanilla on medium till frothy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer operating, steadily stream within the sugar. Enhance to medium-high and beat till very thick, pale and tripled in quantity, about 6 minutes.

Cut back to medium-low and, with the mixer operating, add the flour combination 1 spoonful at a time, then slowly drizzle within the oil. Instantly cease the mixer (the oil won’t be absolutely integrated), detach the bowl and fold with a silicone spatula simply till the batter is homogeneous; it will likely be gentle, ethereal and pourable.

Pour the batter into the ready pan and bake till the cake is domed and well-browned, the middle jiggles barely when the pan is gently shaken and a toothpick inserted 2 inches in from the sting comes out clear, 22 to 25 minutes if utilizing a dark-colored pan or 30 to 33 minutes if utilizing a light-colored pan.

Cool within the pan on a wire rack till barely heat, about 1 hour; the cake will deflate because it cools. If areas of the cake’s circumference stick with the perimeters of the pan, run a knife across the within the pan to loosen. Raise the cake out of the pan utilizing the perimeters of the parchment or take away the perimeters of the springform pan. When able to serve,
fastidiously pull the parchment away from the perimeters of the cake, then minimize into wedges.

Madeiran Pork with Wine and Garlic (Carne Vinha d’Alhos)
Begin to end: 21⁄2 hours (50 minutes lively), plus marinating
Servings: 4 to six

Carne vinha d’alhos, or pork with wine and garlic, is a standard Christmas dish from the Portuguese island of Madeira and the precursor to the spicy Indian curry known as
vindaloo. To make it, chunks of pork are marinated in a heady combination of wine, vinegar,
garlic and herbs for up to some days earlier than they’re cooked till tender. The meat is subtly tangy, evenly garlicky and fragranced with herbs, with browned bits that present nice depth of taste. The model that we realized to make in Madeira knowledgeable this recipe, however to attain outcomes as scrumptious as what we tasted there, we opted to make use of pork shoulder somewhat than leaner loin. However shoulder is a minimize that requires prolonged cooking to turn out to be tender, so somewhat than a fast 30-minute simmer, we oven-braise the pork for about 11⁄2 hours. From there we keep true to what we have been taught: brown the meat after simmering to develop wealthy, flavorful caramelization, cut back the marinade/cooking liquid to a lightweight glaze, and end the pork by coating it with the discount. In Madeira, the pork usually is piled onto crusty rolls to make sandwiches, however we expect it is also nice with mashed or roasted potatoes alongside.

Don’t use an uncoated cast-iron Dutch oven. Enamel-coated cast-iron is ok, however in an uncoated cast-iron pot—even in a single that’s nicely seasoned—the acidity of the marinade could react with the iron, producing metallic “off” flavors. A chrome steel cooking floor is ok, too, however keep away from aluminum except it has been handled to make it nonreactive. After simmering the pork, you’ll want to drain the items on a rack as directed. This helps guarantee good caramelization when the pork is browned within the skillet. Lastly, when skimming the fats off the braising liquid, you’ll want to reserve it for browning the pork.

INGREDIENTS
5 kilos boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and minimize into 1- to 11⁄2-inch chunks
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup cider vinegar
10 bay leaves
6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crimson pepper flakes
6 complete cloves (non-obligatory)
Kosher salt and floor black pepper
1 cup Madeira
1⁄4 cup minced contemporary oregano

INSTRUCTIONS
In a big Dutch oven, stir collectively the pork, wine, vinegar, bay, garlic, dried oregano, pepper flakes, cloves (if utilizing) and 1 teaspoon every salt and pepper. Cowl and refrigerate for not less than 1 hour or for as much as 48 hours.

When you find yourself able to prepare dinner the pork, warmth the oven to 325°F with a rack within the lower-middle place. Set the pot, uncovered, over medium-high and produce to a simmer, stirring sometimes. Re-cover, switch to the oven and prepare dinner till a skewer inserted into the pork meets just a bit resistance, about 11⁄2 hours, stirring as soon as about midway via.

Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Utilizing a slotted spoon, switch the pork and garlic to the rack, eradicating and discarding the bay and cloves (if used); put aside. Tilt the pot to pool the cooking liquid to at least one aspect, then use a large spoon to skim off as a lot fats as attainable; reserve the fats.

Add the Madeira to the pot, deliver to a boil over medium-high and prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, till the combination has diminished to about 1 cup, 15 to twenty minutes; put aside. Take away and discard any massive bits of fats on the outside of the items of pork.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, warmth 2 tablespoons of the reserved pork fats till barely smoking. Add the pork and prepare dinner, stirring each 2 to three minutes, till nicely browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Take away the skillet from the warmth and add the diminished cooking liquid. Return to medium-high and proceed to prepare dinner, stirring sometimes, till the liquid has diminished and the pork is evenly glazed and begins to sizzle, 3 to five minutes. Style and season with salt and black pepper, then stir within the contemporary oregano. Switch to a serving dish.

Garlic and Cilantro Soup with Chickpeas (Açorda Alentejana)
Begin to end: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

This soup, with its aromatic, vivid inexperienced broth, is our tackle Portuguese açorda alentejana. Smooth-cooked eggs are an ideal garnish that additionally flip the soup into an entire meal. To soft-cook eggs, deliver 2 cups water to a simmer in a big saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add the eggs, cowl and steam over medium for 7 minutes. Instantly switch to ice water to cease the cooking.

Don’t skimp on the olive oil on this soup. The croutons soak up oil as they toast and the broth takes on a wealthy, creamy texture when the pesto is stirred in.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups evenly packed contemporary cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
1⁄2 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1⁄4 cup), plus extra to serve
1 jalapeño chili, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon candy smoked paprika, divided, plus extra to serve
Kosher salt and floor black pepper
3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
5 ounces rustic bread (akin to ciabatta), sliced 1⁄2 inch thick and torn into bite-size items (about 2 cups)
8 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped
11⁄2 quarts low-sodium rooster broth
Two 151⁄2-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 soft-cooked eggs, peeled (see observe)

INSTRUCTIONS
In a meals processor, mix the cilantro, Parmesan, jalapeño, lemon zest and juice, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the paprika and 1⁄2 teaspoon every salt and pepper. Course of till finely chopped, about 20 seconds, scraping the perimeters as wanted. With the machine operating, add 1⁄2 cup of the oil and course of to a pesto-like consistency, 30 to 45 seconds. Put aside.

In a small bowl, toss the bread with the remaining 1⁄4 cup oil and the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon paprika. Toast in a big Dutch oven over medium, stirring sometimes, till golden brown and crisp, 6 to eight minutes. Utilizing a slotted spoon, return the bread to the bowl, leaving extra oil within the pot; set the croutons apart.

Set the Dutch oven over medium and add the garlic. Cook dinner, stirring consistently, till aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the broth and chickpeas and produce to a simmer over medium-high. Cook dinner, stirring, till heated via, about 3 minutes. Off warmth, stir within the pureed cilantro combination, then style and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the croutons amongst 4 serving bowls. Ladle within the soup and high every with 1 egg. Sprinkle with extra paprika and Parmesan.