Saudade is a word in Portuguese that speak about longing and yearning - a deep state of nostalgia for something or someone that is greatly missed. Eu tenho saudades de Portugal - I miss and think of Portugal quite frequently. It all began with dance - of course! - my hips were not satisfied until I taught myself how to samba dance. This then led to my desire to learn more about the dance and its history...which led to my interest in Brazil...then to learn Portuguese. My opportunity came when I started my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley. I decided to take Portuguese my first semester with hopes that one day I would travel to the marvelous country of Brazil. Travel I did, but not to Brazil. All summer programs were canceled the summer of 2006 except for the program in Portugal...it never crossed my mind to go but hey, Portugal is the motherland of the language so why not go, heh?
Brilliant of me to have gone, I fell in love with the country! My good luck sailed me there once again while traveling on a cruise around the world in 2007. The bread and pastries...heavenly! Just thinking of pastéis de nata makes my mouth water, oh and what I would give to have the 175-plus-year-old recipe of the saintly Pastéis de Belém. Note to self: find a Portuguese bakery in the Bay Area.
Back to Saudade, the summer has come and with it brings a longing to travel. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is explore the cuisine of the country, appreciate their local ingredients and jot down notes in my journal for my kitchen's sake. This summer, my travel is limited due to the arrival of Baby Gabe, thus I have chosen to do some exploring in the kitchen.
Clams remind me of summer and of Cataplana, which reminds me of Portugal and of traveling. Cataplana is a Portuguese seafood dish that is from the Algarve Coast. The name is derived from the cookware that is used to prepare the dish, made of copper and shaped like two clamshells. Tony could not stop smiling as he ate this dish...Cataplana will now remind me of my sweetheart's smile on a nice summer day...
Clam and Pork Cataplana
Recipe from my favorite Magazine of all time, Dish (NZ), made with a few changes because...I cannot follow a recipe without adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that!
3 lbs or 4 dozen small clams in the shell
3/4 lbs boneless pork loin or fillet, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoons chilly flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine or water
1.4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Soak the clams in cold water for 10 minutes then drain.
Heat the olive oil in a cataplana (substitute: wok or deep saute pan). Add the pork and smoked paprika, season and cook for 2 minutes over a high heat until lightly golden and just cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion, red pepper, garlic, rosemary, chilli flakes, tomato paste and the bay leaf to the pan and cook until the onion is soft, adding a splash of water if the pan is too r=dry. add the wine and or the water and the clams and turn to coat in the onion mixture. Cover and cook until the clams have opened. Stir in the pork and the parsley, season and tip into a larger bowl. Serve with plenty of grilled bread for mopping up the juices.
Serves 4.
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