Wanderlust Cooking: Portuguese Recipes + Vinho Verde

Instructions

Roast Bell Peppers and Tomatoes:
1. You can roast the peppers and tomatoes on gas burner, on broil in the oven, or on a grill. Place peppers either directly on burner grates, on a baking sheet in the oven, or directy on grill to roast, turning occasionally with tongs until the skin is blistered and black all over. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Brush tomatoes with olive oil and place close to the heat, turning and roasting as the skin blisters all over, about 3 minutes. It's ok if the skin gets blackened, but roast them quickly so the flesh doesn't get overcooked. Set aside to let cool.

3. After the bell peppers have cooled, peel off the skins, remove the core and seeds, and cut them into pieces that are about 1-inch-square (or triangles). Peel the tomatoes and cut them into pieces about the same size as the peppers.

4. Meanwhile, place cucumber slices on a rack set over a baking sheet or in a colander and sprinkle them lightly with salt on both sides. Allow them to stand for 20 minutes to release their juices, then pat dry with paper towels.

Assemble the Salad:
1. Combine roast peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a large salad bowl and sprinkle with the chopped cilantro.

2. Stir in the remaining olive oil, red wine vinegar, and chile paste and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. If you're not serving the salad right away, cover and refrigerate, but pull out the salad and let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Instructions

For the Meat Filling

1. Over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper to a medium pot and cook for a few minutes, than add tomato paste, hot pimento paste, mustard, knorr cube, paprika, black pepper, wine, salt and finally the ground beef, stir well and let it cook for 15 minutes or until cooked, and remove from heat.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.

For the Mashed Potatoes

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 25 minutes; drain.

2. Add butter and milk to the pot and mash with potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste (and remember the meat filling will have salt in it already too!).

Assemble the Empadão

1. Grease a medium casserole dish with olive oil.

2. Add a layer of mashed potatoes, then a layer with all the cooked ground beef, then top it off with the remaining mash potatoes

3. Brush the egg wash over the mashed potatoes.

4. Cook for 30 minutes, let it cool for a bit and serve.

Instructions

Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You may need to add a little more water (I did). Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve what's shown in the video, linked here.

Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Roll dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough should still be sticky.

Spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a silicone spatula, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.

Turn dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter; dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle dough with flour and roll into a square a little over 1/8 inch thick. Spread remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1 1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and polish the ends as needed. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Combine sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210 to 215 degrees F (100 degrees C). Remove from heat.

Preheat oven 550 degrees F (288 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

Whisk flour, salt, and cold milk together very thoroughly in a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Whisk egg yolks into the cooled milk. Add the sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a glass measuring cup.

Unwrap the dough and trim any uneven bits on the ends. Score log into 12 even pieces using a knife; cut through.

Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.

Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes. Cool tarts briefly and serve warm.