Here in Portugal, the olive harvest has come early this year due to unseasonably warm weather. It looks like we are in for a bumper harvest which is fantastic news as we use our own olive oil in the Tri Training Harder Kitchen when cooking for our guests out in the Algarve. With all the well documented health benefits that come with consuming olive oil we are not shy with it either! The harvest is a challenging yet rewarding time of year for us; it consists of long days climbing up ladders, moving picking nets and hoofing 40kg sacks of olives around before taking them over to the press ready for bottling up. Given that so much effort is put into the making of the olive oil, we make sure that it is put to good use when cooking with it. This calls for some really good food to use it in, so this month we bring you one of Nick's most fondly remembered dishes from the 2015 menu.
This is a true Portuguese classic: Feijoda.
Feijoda is essentially a bean and pork stew, with as many variations in existence as there are villages in Portugal. Two of the most important things that make for a really memorable Feijoda are a good quality chorizo and the inclusion of smoked paprika. We buy our smoked paprika from the local market in Loule, a well-known stop on many of the bike trips during the Tri Training Harder Algarve Training Holidays.
Packed with protein from the beans and meat, best when cooked slowly for a long time, it is the perfect dish for the long cold training days that you have ahead of you through the winter. We hope it warms you and brings back memories of the sun, sea and Algarve.
FEIJOADA (serves 8-10)
Feijoada is a typical Portuguese dish based on Pork and Beans.
The type of beans varies from region to region as does the cut of pork and the type of Chorizo sausage. The secret to a good Feijoada is the long slow cooking time, ideally in a wood burning oven so that the flavours infuse.
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| A selection Portuguese produce, fresh from the market |
Ingredients:
1.5 cups dried kidney beans or 3 cups cooked beans
Soak the beans overnight and then boil until tender.
800g pork cut into pieces (a mixture of cuts such as shoulder and belly is ideal)
2 chorizo style sausages
200g smoked bacon
2 large onions chopped
2 red peppers sliced
2 tins chopped tomato
2tsp paprika
2tsp smoked paprika
2 cups red wine
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Chop the bacon into pieces and fry. Remove the bacon and use the residue oil to fry the onion.
Once the onion is transparent, add the red pepper and fry. Remove these and brown the pork pieces. Add the cooked bacon, onion and pepper to the pork with the sliced chorizo, tomato, wine and paprika.
Slow cook for approx. 2-3 hours.
Slow cook for approx. 2-3 hours.
If you have a slow cooker, solar cooker or pizza oven this is ideal, otherwise in a conventional oven covered for the same amount of time. From time to time check there is sufficient liquid.
Add the cooked beans just before serving, reheat and serve.
This is a perfect winter warmer but can equally be served as a tasty summer filler!
All the best!
Lynn & Scott