20 — Authentic Portuguese CookingHoly Ghost Wine and Spice Braised BeefSopasSERVES 6 I have had requests for a recipe called “sopish” (sopas), a dish that is prepared especially for the feast of the Holy Ghost celebrated on Pentecost Sunday. Certain regions, such as the islands of Terceira and Graciosa of the Azores archipelagos, make Holy Ghost Soup, the recipe given in Portuguese Homestyle Cooking. Other Portuguese descendants in the United States described their search for a version that resembles braised beef. The principle is almost the same, but the former is truly a soup where the meat is removed from the soup broth and served separately. The broth with vegetables is ladled over bread and garnished with mint. The latter version of the sopish is definitely more of a pot roast. A search brought me to the family recipe of Richard Silva. The meat is also separated from the pan juices. Is it traditional to the Azoreans? I honestly don’t know. This could be an adaptation created in the United States. However, depending on the island in the Azores, I found the meal for the feast of the Holy Spirit can be quite lean, as with the soup from the island of Santa Maria, to abundant ones like this.THE DAY BEFORE4 ——— pounds/1818 g beef chuck roast, bone-in1½ —— cups/355 ml red wine4 ——— garlic cloves, peeled and smashed1 ——— bay leaf½ ——— teaspoon crushed dried chile pepper THE NEXT DAY1 ——— cup/235 ml water1 ——— large Vidalia or yellow Spanish onion, thickly sliced1½ —— cups/270 g finely chopped, peeled, very ripe tomatoes ¼ ——— cup/60 g ketchup2 ——— tablespoons/30 g tomato paste1 ——— 2-inch/5-cm piece of cinnamon stick7 ——— whole cloves7 ——— Jamaican allspice berries¼ ——— teaspoon cumin seeds1 ——— bay leaf ½ ——— tablespoon/9 g coarse kosher salt or to taste6 ——— thick slices day-old Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, Greek or crusty artisan bread6 to 12 — mint leavesTHE DAY BEFORE 1. Place the roast in a non-reactive 5-quart/4.5-L pot with a tight-fitting lid such as a Dutch oven. Pour the wine over and toss in the garlic, bay leaf and crushed dried chile pepper. Cover and marinate for several hours or overnight, turning the meat over occasionally. THE NEXT DAY1. Add the water to the pot containing the roast and marinade. Toss in the onion slices. Mix the tomatoes and ketchup with the tomato paste and stir into the pot.2. Place the cinnamon stick, cloves, Jamaican allspice, cumin and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth. Tie it up with a piece of kitchen string and place in the pot. Sprinkle the salt over the roast.3. Make sure the liquid comes halfway up the sides of the roast. If not, add more wine and water in equal amounts.4. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and turning the meat occasionally, simmer slowly until the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender, about 3 hours.5. To serve, remove the meat and pull it off the bone in pieces. Place a thick slice of crusty Portuguese or artisan bread in each soup plate topped with a mint leaf or two. Ladle a generous amount of broth over the bread to soften. Serve the meat over or beside the moistened bread. Legumes, Vegetables and More (Legumes e Hortaliças e Mais) — 193Stewed Peas with Linguiça SausageErvilhas Guisadas com LinguiçaSERVES 4 TO 6Introduced to Portugal by the Arabs during the time of their occupation, this is a dish that just may convert a non-pea eater to a pea lover. The concentrated flavor of garlic sausage infuses the onion and tomato base and complements the sweetness of the peas. Peas seasoned and stewed with garlic, tomato, white wine and onion are a flavorful change from the usual plain peas. This aromatic dish can also be made with baby green fava beans or even chickpeas. Using frozen tender peas makes this dish a snap to prepare in short order.¼ ——— cup/60 ml olive oil2 ——— ounces/56 g salt pork, cut into ¼-inch/6-mm cubes (optional)4 ——— ounces/112 g linguiça or chouriço sausage, cut into ¼-inch/6-mm slices1 ——— small onion, coarsely chopped (about ½ cup/80 g)½ ——— cup/90 g chopped seeded tomato or 1 tablespoon/15 g tomato paste1 ——— teaspoon/3 g paprika 1 or 2 — garlic cloves, finely chopped1 ——— bay leaf½ ——— cup/120 ml white wine ¼ ——— cup/15 g finely chopped parsley or cilantro ¼ to ½ — teaspoon ground nutmeg or ground cumin3 ——— cups/450 g frozen tender peas 1 ——— teaspoon/6 g coarse kosher salt or to taste¼ ——— teaspoon ground black or white pepper4 to 6 — eggs (1 per person)1. Heat the oil in a 2½-quart/2.3-L saucepan over medium-high heat untilhot but not smoking. Add the salt pork and lightly brown, rendering the fatfrom it, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the sausagepieces and onion. When the sausage slices start taking on some color, about2 to 3 minutes, add the tomato, paprika, garlic and bay leaf, and bring toa simmer.2. Pour in the wine and stir in the parsley and nutmeg. Add the peas, seasonwith salt and pepper and give everything a stir. Cover tightly. Reduce theheat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes.3. Make 4 to 6 wells in the peas, one for each egg. Crack the eggs and dropone raw egg into each well. Recover the pan and continue to simmer overmedium-low heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the eggs are soft poachedor to the desired doneness. You can also poach them separately; just cook thepeas for 20 minutes and garnish each serving with a poached egg. 362 — Authentic Portuguese CookingSpice and Herb Seasoning PasteMassa dos Temperos MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP/112 G Taught to me at a young age, this was my father’s concoction for many pork dishes. At that point it then became our “go to” seasoning. In this wet seasoning paste, fresh aromatics of cilantro or parsley and fresh garlic are added just before seasoning an ingredient. This is not a premixed “allspice.” At times, I omit the salt and use 1 to 2 tablespoons/12 to 24 g of Sweet Pepper Paste (massa de pimentão), which you can make yourself (page 367), purchase online or find at markets that sell Portuguese ingredients. As you combine the ingredients, the heady aroma will fill the senses. I love to use it for roast chicken, chicken wings, pork and potatoes. The paste will have some texture to it.1 ——— tablespoon/18 g coarse kosher salt or Sweet Pepper Paste (page 367)2 ——— garlic cloves, peeled, cut in half1 ——— tablespoon/8 g paprika1 ——— bay leaf, crumbled1 ——— tablespoon/4 g finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro½ ——— teaspoon freshly ground pepper½ ——— teaspoon turmeric (optional)½ ——— teaspoon hot chile pepper sauce (optional)¼ ——— teaspoon ground cumin (optional)2 to 4 — tablespoons/30 to 60 ml olive oil1. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the salt and garlic together, forming a paste. Mash in the paprika, bay leaf, parsley, pepper, turmeric, chile pepper and cumin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the olive oil. 2. Spread the paste over meats before cooking or place the seasoned meats in a nonreactive bowl and add enough white wine to just cover. Marinate for several hours or overnight. We hope youenjoyed this EYB Book PreviewThe complete book is available from all major booksellers. Or use the "Buy Book" button and help support EYB.Next >