Portuguese

You can make the creamy, custardy treat with an earth-shattering crust at home—in a muffin pan!

Baked eggs are great for brunch, and this recipe is no exception. But with a green salad, it’s also hearty and satisfying enough to double as dinner.

This hearty dish was inspired by frango na púcara, a Portuguese chicken dish that's cooked in a terra-cotta jug. We've streamlined the method, but kept all of the smoky, tangy, sweet flavors. 

These salt cod fritters from chef Eric Ripert are golden brown and delightfully crispy. Serve them as soon as you can after frying.

Pastéis de nata have a melt-in-the-mouth, fragile, flaky crust and a not-too-sweet custard that is caramelized and darkened in spots.

The ingredients of this classic Portuguese soup (namely chorizo, kale, and potatoes) meld beautifully under pressure, so you only need water—no stock—to get a savory, rich broth.

This zippy, herbaceous drinkable soup is like a trip to the farmers’ market in a glass.

On the streets of Lisbon and outside any nightclub or bar in Johannesburg, you’ll find vendors grilling steak and slathering garlic butter on a soft bun—heaven. The key to this mouth-watering street food is finding a soft, airy roll to absorb the steak juices. If there is a Portuguese market near you, you’re in luck! If not, look for a soft roll dusted with flour at your local bakery.

Caldo verde means "green broth" in Portuguese, and it is Portugal's unofficial national dish. This beautiful green soup is technically a hot smoothie, since its many nutritious greens are pureed together in a blender. Chickpeas are an important ingredient here, too. Fiber- and protein-rich, they've been shown in studies to help people lose weight. For added protein, top with 4 ounces of shredded chicken or add 2 dozen clams to the broth.

Martha served this gazpacho over tomato aspic in a glass as a portable first course, but the gazpacho can also be served on its own.

Now that I’m living on the East Coast, I am in the center of Portuguese sweet bread universe. When I lived in California, I knew it as Hawaiian bread, but upon closer reading of the label, I learned that even the Hawaiians give credit to the Portuguese for this big, soft, sweet, round pillow of a loaf. One man I know from Los Angeles who summers on Nantucket told me he was in love with the sandwiches made on this bread from a small shop on the island. He was the first person I met with the same passion for this bread that many people feel toward rustic and wild-yeast breads of the artisan movement. When I began teaching at Johnson & Wales University, I found that each of my classes included at least one student who shared my friend’s passion for the sweet bread. Each of these students vows to improve upon the general formula, and this version is a result of the many tweakings the students who grew up with the real deal gave to the original version in an effort to make it conform to their childhood memories. The most distinctive aspect of this bread, besides the softness and the shape, is the flavor imparted by the powdered milk. I have tried making versions with whole milk and buttermilk, but once you get the taste of the powdered-milk version in your mind, no other taste will do.

Portugal lies on the Iberian Peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Spain, and many of its culinary inspirations pull from both those places. In the province of Alentejo in southern Portugal, a combination of pork and clams expresses the inherent poetry of this duality. Ruddy with paprika, fragrant with garlic, and redolent of salt air, it is an exotic, compelling dish in which land meets sea in a bowl. The Portuguese are so fond of it that it is exported with them anywhere they settle, including New Bedford, Massachusetts, where it is served with corn on the cob. The dish is traditionally made with pork meat, cubed, spiced, and marinated overnight. I have simplified the recipe by using chorizo for the pork. It provides the same spiciness and color while eliminating a lengthy step.

More than anywhere else, cooks in Portugal combine seafood and meat with abandon, and it usually works. This dish cries out for crusty bread. If you want a milder garlic flavor, add it along with the tomatoes so it cooks a little longer.

Preserved cod holds up well to several hours in the slow cooker. Salting and drying fish and packing it in barrels is a time-honored method of preservation brought to California by Portuguese immigrants like my grandmother’s people, who came to this country from their home in the Azores.

Party food can peel off pounds! These Spanish peppers could help you drop a size. We use goat cheese instead of traditional manchego to slash fat. Plus, two peppers deliver a third of your daily vitamin C needs, and C has been shown to increase fat burning during exercise.

An extremely easy tapa to assemble that comes straight from El Corregidor, the most delightful bar and restaurant in the region of La Mancha, where Manchego cheese is made and windmills from the times of the Errant Knight Don Quixote still stand.

These small flatbreads serve the same purpose as bread sticks. They are crisp and flaky, and because of the olive oil (use your finest) and salty edge can easily be addictive. Based on centuries-old tortas de aceite, they are the specialty of young chef Enrique Dacosta, whose restaurant Poblet in Denia, Alicante, is the best regarded in the region. They are great with tapas. Instead of making bread dough for this recipe, I simplify by buying pizza dough from my local pizzeria, and the results are excellent.

Nothing could be more simple and down to earth than this tapa, but its appeal is universal. It originated in Catalunya, but can now be found all over Spain. In fact, I will never forget a breakfast of exceptional pan con tomate and steaming café con leche at an outdoor café overlooking the mountains of Granada in Galera, a town of cave dwellings. The recipe that follows has the advantage of last-minute assemblage, so the bread doesn't get soggy. Since ingredients are few, it goes without saying that the very best tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and anchovies are essential. If last-minute preparation is not a problem, I suggest the even simpler traditional method of toasting the bread, rubbing it with a cut clove of garlic, then rubbing with a cut tomato, squeezing the tomato gently as you rub. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.

We love hash browns for their delicious contradiction—the way the outer crunch of skillet–fried potatoes gives way to an inner creaminess. Throw in some nuggets of spicy Spanish chorizo (left over from Corn–Bread and Chorizo Stuffing ) and things only get better.