AZORES-PORTUGAL

  • Terceira Island - Azores - Portugal

     

    "Donas Amelias"

     

    Ingredients:

     

    2 1/2 cups sugar

    5 whole eggs

    5 egg yolks

    1 1/2 cups yellow corn flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    1/2 cup  melted salted butter

    2 tablespoons molasses

    2 tablespoons cinnamon

    1/2 cup raisins (optional)

     

    Icing sugar - for coating/dusting

     

    Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, there is no particular order. Stir all together with a fork, or wooden spoon. Remember this is a very old recipe, way before Kitchen Aid mixers existed. Just stir till everything is well combined. Next grease 2 muffin trays very well, (I like to use Baker's Joy). Divide the batter amongst the 2 trays. Next pop them into a screaming hot oven,  400º hot. They will bake for about 10-15 minutes. Once they are done, I like to flip them out, onto a table cloth that has been sprinkled with icing sugar. Next I coat them in icing sugar, and place them in muffin paper cups/liners. It is said that the older these little cakes are, the better they taste. Somehow around our house, they never seem to "age".

    Mónica Gonçalves - 9º4

     

    "Azorean Alcatra" (Pot Roast)

     

    Ingredients

    • 2 Kg /4 lbs., 6.5 oz. Rump Roast with bone
    • 150 grs / 5.3 oz. Bacon
    • 100 grs / 3.5 oz. Lard
    • 4 Large Onions
    • 4 Garlic Cloves
    • 1 Bay Leaf
    • 1 Bottle Red Wine
    • 1 tsp. Allspice
    • 1 tsp. Black Peppercorns
    • 3 Cinnamon Sticks
    • Cloves

    Preparation:

    Start by cutting out meat to large cubes, slice the onion into slices and garlic with bacon in cubes. Add all ingredients in a bowl and cover with lard. Cover the crock Bowl with aluminum foil and cook in a wood-fired oven or, Alternatively, an electric oven to 150° C for six hours or until the meat is tender.

    Note 1:

    One large ceramic pot, if you have one, use a portuguese ceramic pot called an alguidar de barro (if you don’t have a ceramic pot you can also use a large stock pot)

    Note 2:

    “Alcatra” is a typical dish from Terceira Island. The use of several spices in the recipe is related to the Portuguese Discoveries. Vessels coming from India and America stopped at the island and sold spices and gold.

    (Catarina Dias - 9.º4)