A Portuguese dinner at home: caldo verde, salt cod and custard tarts
Portuguese home cooking is generous, unfussy and built on good ingredients: potatoes, olive oil, garlic, greens, fish. A dinner of caldo verde, salt cod and custard tarts is a well-loved combination, and it is manageable for a host because most of it can be made ahead.
Here is a plan for six people.
Start with caldo verde
Caldo verde, “green soup”, is a potato and kale soup that is traditionally eaten across Portugal. It is cheap, comforting and ready in about 40 minutes.
You need: 1 kg potatoes, 1 large onion, 3 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1.5 litres water or light stock, 200 g chouriço or another smoked sausage, and a big bunch of kale (about 300 g), plus salt.
- Soften the chopped onion and garlic in the oil for 8 minutes.
- Add peeled, sliced potatoes and the liquid. Simmer for about 20 minutes until very soft.
- Blend or mash until smooth. Add a splash of water if too thick.
- Strip the kale from its stems and roll the leaves into a cigar, then slice as thinly as you can. Stir it into the soup and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Slice the sausage, fry it briefly, and float a few slices on each bowl, with a thread of olive oil.
For a vegetarian version, skip the sausage and add smoked paprika to the onion. The soup keeps in the fridge for three days. Add the kale on reheating so it stays green.
Salt cod, the main event
Salt cod, called bacalhau, is dried and salted cod that is a staple of Portuguese kitchens. It needs planning, because it has to be soaked.
Soaking: Buy thick, centre-cut pieces. Rinse, then soak in cold water in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water 3 or 4 times. Thicker pieces need longer. Taste a flake before cooking; it should be pleasantly seasoned, not harshly salty.
A simple bake for six:
- 800 g soaked salt cod
- 1 kg potatoes, sliced thickly and boiled until just tender
- 3 onions, thinly sliced and softened in olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- A handful of black olives, chopped parsley, 2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs
Poach the cod in barely simmering water for 8 to 10 minutes, then flake it, removing bones and skin. Layer potatoes, onions and cod in a baking dish with olive oil and bake at 200 degrees C for 15 to 20 minutes until the top browns. Finish with olives, egg and parsley.
If you cannot find salt cod, fresh cod or haddock works in the same layered dish. Skip the soaking and season well with salt, since the flavour will be milder.
Check carefully for bones. Fish bones are a common hazard for guests.
Custard tarts for dessert
Pastéis de nata are small custard tarts with a flaky shell and a blistered top. Making the pastry from scratch is a project. A sensible host buys good all-butter puff pastry.
Makes 12: 1 sheet puff pastry, 250 ml milk, 150 g sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, 5 egg yolks, 1 strip lemon peel, a cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Warm the milk with the lemon peel and cinnamon. In a separate pot, simmer the sugar with a little water for a few minutes, then whisk in the flour and milk. Cook until thickened, cool slightly, remove the peel and cinnamon, then whisk in the yolks and vanilla.
- Roll the pastry into a log, cut 12 slices, and press each into a muffin tin cup, thinning the sides with your thumb.
- Fill each about three-quarters full.
- Bake at 250 degrees C (or your oven’s maximum) for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are spotted dark brown.
They are best the same day. Dust with cinnamon and icing sugar.
Timing and what can go wrong
- Day before: soak the cod, make the custard and the soup base.
- That morning: boil the potatoes and assemble the bake.
- At serving: reheat the soup, slice the kale, bake the cod. Tarts can be baked while you eat the main.
- Soup too thick? Thin with hot water. Tarts leaking? Underfill the shells.
Serve with a green salad and, if you like, a light Portuguese white wine.
A host’s note
Tell guests about allergies before they come: this menu contains fish, dairy, eggs and gluten.
For more menus like this one, see our Around the World section.