Portuguese holiday dinner party for eight
Wine pairings by Cory Levy, wine director, and Quinn Bester, sommelier.
Playlist by co-owner Christian Mena.
Photos by Curtis Comeau Photography
Cory Levy, wine director at Sabor
This holiday menu of Portuguese classics by Sabor’s exec chef and co-owner Lino Oliveira might look intimidating, but chef assures us that they are quite doable by the home cook in a home kitchen.
He suggests picking up frozen octopus and bacalhau at the Italian Centre Shop and the Portuguese corn bread at any Portuguese bakery. And if you don’t happen to have a pudim mold in your cupboard, he says a bundt pan or even a cake pan topped with foil will do just fine.
The wine choices are accessible and can be found at most good wine shops (and on the Sabor award-winning list). Music? Sabor co-owner and musician Christian Mena recommends An Evening at Sabor by Mark Beaudin, spotify.com.
“The proteins are traditional Christmas dishes, but I have made my own twists on the recipes. In Portugal, everything is on the table at once—it’s a feast—but it’s a bit easier on the home cook if it’s served in courses. First the soup, then the bacalhau, which could be with the seafood rice, then the octopus. The menu serves eight generously. Or, incorporate a few of these dishes into your own holiday dinners.” –Chef Lino Oliveira, Sabor.
“Quinn and I have chosen Iberian wines to complement this menu, with one surprise, a white made by renowned Spanish producer Vega Sicilia at their Hungarian property, Oremus.” –Cory Levy, wine director Sabor and Bodega.
Caldo Verde—Potato and Kale Soup
| 1 large | onion, diced |
| 3 cloves | garlic, crushed |
| 200 ml | olive oil |
| 2 L | water |
| 2 lbs | potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed |
| 3-4 | bay leaves |
| Portuguese chorizo | |
| kale or collard greens—leaves from six stalks, chiffonade | |
| salt and pepper |
Sauté the onion and garlic with the oil in a medium pot until the onion is soft. Add about 2 liters of water, the potatoes and the bay leaves to the pot. Cook until the potatoes start to fall apart.
Let cool for blending. Remove the bay leaves and pour into a blender. Add salt and pepper and blend to a fine purée. Check seasoning, adding more if necessary. Return to the pot and add sliced chorizo and kale. Cook until kale is soft. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil.
Wine pairing: 2021 Tempos-Vega Sicilia Oremus Furmint (Tokaj, Hungary)
The dry Furmint’s high acidity, crispness and refreshing citrus notes cut through the richness of the soup. Its minerality complements the earthy flavours of the kale, while the subtle fruitiness enhances the smoky spicy chorizo.
Bacalhau no Forno—Baked Portuguese Salt Cod
“Bacalhau is dried salted fish which needs to be hydrated to eat. Buy it already cut up, it will be easier to prepare. Keep the fish submerged and soaking in a large vessel for up to two days. Change the water two to four times a day to remove the salt and to bring the fish to the desired texture. Traditionally, it is cooked with the skin and bones, but I suggest leaving them out to make it easier to cook and serve. Portugal is known for bacalhau but you could substitute fresh cod. The dish won’t be exactly the same, but it will taste good.”
| 4 oz | olive oil |
| 2 lg | onions, sliced |
| 6 cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 2 | carrots, peeled, sliced |
| 2 lg stalks | leek, sliced |
| handful | parsley, chopped |
| 2 c | white wine |
| 1oz | Worcestershire sauce |
| 1 l | heavy cream |
| salt and pepper to taste | |
| 8 | 4 to 6 oz portions, bacalhau (boneless and skinless) |
In a large pot add the olive oil, onions, garlic, carrots, leek, parsley and cook while stirring for 3 minutes. Add the wine and Worcestershire, reduce by half, then add the cream and seasoning to taste. Add the fish and simmer for 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to an oven-proof casserole dish. Place in a hot oven for up to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve family style in a hot casserole dish.
Wine pairing: 2020 Aldeia de Cima Reserva Serra do Mendro (Alentejano, Portugal)
“The full-bodied texture and balanced acidity of this wine stands up to the richness of the bacalhau and showcases the floral and mineral qualities of the indigenous grapes used, Antão Vaz, Arinto, and Alvarinho.”
Arroz de Marisco—Seafood Rice (family style)
Arroz de Marisco—Seafood Rice (family style)
“Seafood rice is one of my favourite dishes, I call it soupy rice. It’s a really good way to eat seafood. Rice is common in Portugal—where it’s called loose rice and there is no cheese or butter to hide the flavours. Rather than clams, mussels and prawns, you could substitute crab or squid, calamari, or a firm fish, like monkfish.”
| 6 oz | olive oil |
| 2 med | yellow onions, diced |
| 6 cloves | garlic, chopped fine |
| 2 | red chiles |
| 8 oz | white wine |
| 6 oz | tomato paste |
| 6 | ripe tomatoes, diced |
| 4 sprigs | parsley |
| 4 sprigs | cilantro |
| salt and pepper to taste | |
| 3 c | rice (short grain such as arborio) |
| 2 L | seafood stock |
| 16 lg | prawns |
| 2 lb | clams |
| 2 lb | mussels |
In a large pot add the olive oil, onions, garlic and chiles and cook until golden brown. Add the wine to the pot and cook until wine begins to reduce. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice. Stir for another 2 minutes until the rice grains are coated with the tomato mixture. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add the seafood to the rice mixture and cook for about five minutes until the shells open. Serve with some chopped parsley.
Wine pairing: 2018 Luis Pato Vinha Pan Baga (Bairrada, Portugal)
This is one of my favourite pairings with seafood rice due to its vibrant acidity, firm tannins and bright red fruit notes, which complement the savoury and briny elements of the seafood.
Polvo com Migas (Octopus with Iberian Corn Bread Crumb)
Polvo com Migas—Octopus with Iberian Corn Bread Crumb
“Portuguese Migas is a stale corn bread crumble resembling stuffing. The real traditional homemade stuff is made with grey corn. You could use any dried bread, it doesn’t have to be Portuguese cornbread, but the flavours will be more authentic if it is.”
Octopus
| 4 cloves | garlic |
| 2 lg | onions |
| 4 | bay leaves |
| black pepper corns | |
| 2-3 lb | frozen octopus, cleaned and ready to cook/td> |
Put everything but the octopus in a pot with 1 litre of water. Bring to a boil, then add octopus, lower the temperature to medium (under boiling point) to keep the octopus from losing its skin. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave in the water until cooled down, about another 30 minutes. Remove from the water and set aside to portion—2 small tentacles per serving.
Migas
| 1 loaf | Portuguese corn bread (Find at Portuguese bakeries, they all carry it.) |
| 1 c | olive oil |
| 1 sm | onion, sliced |
| 4 cloves | garlic, chopped |
| 1 can | roasted red peppers cut into strips or equivalent |
| salt and pepper | |
| dried chiles | |
| paprika | |
| 2 lg bunch | rapini, roughly cut and blanched |
| 2 cans | white beans |
Break the bread into a rough crumble and set aside to dry or place in warm oven for a few minutes. In a pan add the olive oil, onion, garlic, roasted red peppers, salt, pepper, pinch of chile and paprika. Cook until the onions are soft. Put in a large bowl and add the bread, rapini and beans. Toss together, then reserve until ready to serve.
To serve: drizzle the octopus with olive oil and place in oven or on a grill until it is hot again. Place the migas on a cookie sheet in the oven until hot and showing colour. Mound the migas on plates and place 2 tentacles on each mound.
Wine pairing: 2016 Vina Ardanza Reserva (Rioja, Spain)
The wine, made primarily from Tempranillo grapes, offers the perfect balance of ripe red fruit, acidity, earthy undertones, and well-integrated oak from its extended aging. The wine’s silky tannins and medium body also complement the texture of the tender octopus; an elegant pairing that enhances the complexity of the dish and the wine’s depth.
Pudim—Portuguese Flan Custard
“This is my mom’s recipe. Her pudim had a certain something. She was always asked to make it for the special occasions in our village, even into her 90s. This pudim bakes to almost a solid; we served slices during Downtown Dining Week last year. If you don’t have a pudim mold, cover a bundt pan or cake pan with foil.”
| 2 c | sugar, divided |
| ½ c | water |
| 8 lg | eggs |
| 2 c | milk |
| 1 oz | Port |
| 2 sticks | cinnamon |
| rind of 1 lemon |
In a saucepan add 1 cup sugar and half a cup of water. Let it boil and reduce until sugar becomes a golden brown. Quickly pour caramel into the mold and carefully swirl around until sides are coated.
Bring the milk, port, cinnamon and lemon to a simmer in a saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk 1 cup of sugar with the eggs in a large bowl. Let the milk mixture cool slightly (you don’t want to scramble the eggs) then whisk into the sugar mixture. Reserve. Make a water bath: put the empty mold into a large pot and fill the pot with water until it comes halfway up the mold. Strain the custard into the mold. Cover the mold and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove from the water bath and let cool completely before transferring to a plate. Pour the liquid caramel left in the mold over the flan and slice into 8 pieces.
Wine pairing: Quevedo 20 Year Tawny Port
Harmony: the wine’s rich, nutty sweetness and the dessert’s creamy, caramelized flavours. The wine’s balanced acidity prevents the pairing from becoming too heavy. A delightful match.