I can "tasty Portuguese Creamy Cod" Bachalhau com Natas

As you know I am a proud Portuguese and as such I often prepare at home Cod Fish dishes or as we call it in Portugal “Bacalhau”.

Portuguese are mad about Bacalhau as a matter of fact we call it “Fiel Amigo” means trustful friend.

Cod Fish is a wonderful ingredient, very tasty in Portugal we have more than a thousand ways of preparing it; we often joke and say that we have a different recipe for every day of the year.

Portuguese started fishing this fish in Terra Nova (new found land) centuries a go and from then it become the most popular fish in Portugal and also in other European countries. The method of drying it with salt was essential for the long trips of the Portuguese Navigators.

Today I m leaving you a suggestion, that your family and friends will enjoy for sure, it is our “Bacalhau com Natas” or Cod Fish with Cream. I suggest a chilled Dry White Wine why not from Alentejo region of Portugal.

Hope that you will enjoy it.

Here's the shopping list:

4 pieces of salted Cod

q.b. Olive oil

q.b. Garlic

q.b. Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Large Onion

2 Packs of small cooking Cream

3 Potatoes

q.b. Sea Salt and Black Pepper

q.b. Butter

q.b. of Clove of India (spice)

q.b. of Bay leaf

q.b. of Milk

q.b. of Black Olives

q.b. of Piri Piri (Chilly Powder)

q.b. of White Flour

Step 1) Leave the Cod inside water for at least a day (change water three times);

Step 2) Cook the Cod just in water;

Step 3) After is cooked leave it to rest inside cold water, this will make it easier to the next step;

Step 4) With your hands break the Cod flesh in small pieces, be careful to remove any skin and bones;

Step 5) Chop the onion in small pieces and fry it with the garlic and Bay leaf;

Step 6) When is golden add the Cod Fish and fry it for 5 minutes, add Pepper and if you like it a little bit spicy some Piri-Piri (chilly powder);

Step 7) Melt some butter in the frying pan, add the Flour and stir;

Step 8) Add some hot milk and stir, it will become solid, don’t worry;

Step 9) Add some salt, pepper, the Clove of India an the Cooking Cream, continue t stir;

Step 10) Chop the Potatoes into French Fries style and fry them;

Step 11) In a cooking Tray place the French fries in the bottom;

Step 12) Cover the French Fries with the Cream;

Step 13) Cover the Cream with the Cod;

Step 14) Cover the Cod with the rest of the Cream and add the grated parmigian chease;

Step 15) Pre-heat the oven at 250° and lace the tray inside;

Step 16) Control the cooking process as the recipe will be ready when it gains a crispy golden colour.
Step 17) Add some black olives over the top and serve the tray directly to the table;

Bon Apetit,

Chef Gourmet Du Art

I can "Amazing Bulgarian Wines"

Dear readers,

as you know, I often write about Bulgaria or make some references to Bulgarian cuisine and wine.

Today’s post is completely dedicated to Bulgarian Wine because the Wines from Bulgaria merit a Post of its own.

Probably most of you readers do not know much about Bulgaria, its Folks, food or in this particular case Wine.

Let me remind you that Bulgaria is a European country (one of the oldest), member of the European Union and NATO. It is a South-eastern country that borders Romania in the North, Greece in the South, Turkey in South-east and Serbia and Macedonia in West and South-west to be precise.

In the all East it kisses the Black Sea.

Bulgaria is a small country with a population of only 7,5 million inhabitants.

Its population is a melting pot of different cultures as it was one of the main gates of all migrations towards Europe and maybe it is also the main reason why many believe that it was inside this territory that wine was first created.

It has been a long discussion where wine was first produced, from latest investigations it seems that the birth of the precious nectar was in the Thracia region. Such region was also integrant part of the Roman Empire and probably it was because of them that wine was first industrialized. There is also a reference in Homer’s Iliad which describes the honey sweet black wine, which the ships of the Achaeans brought daily from the Thracian city of Ismarus to their camp outside Troy.

Bulgaria has five wine regions, the Danubian Plain (north Bulgaria), the Black Sea (East Bulgaria), the Rose Valley (sub-Balkan), the Thracian lowland (South Bulgaria) and the Stuma River Valley (South west Bulgaria).

Today most of its production is of known international grapes namely Merlot, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Traminer, Gewurztraminer but there are also many native grape varieties such as Mavrud, Melnik (also the name of the region of the famous Spartacus) Gamza, (Red) Misket Cherven, Pamid, Dimiat.

Being born in a Wine Country such as Portugal, I was not aware of the beauties of Bulgarian Wines or to be fair of any other country.

I was first introduced to Bulgarian Wines by my lovely wife and later by my Brother-in-law Bobi, he was the main responsible for my better knowledge of the wines, producers and different varieties.

It is hard to find good Bulgarian Wines in Wine Shops thus, try to find it in the net, I am sure that you will be able to directly contact some producer or intermediary that will send you a few cases.

Here’s my personal list and my favourites:

1)      Red Wine - Black C – Santa Sarah – Good Wine

2)      Red Wine – Enira (best one the 2006) - Amazing Wine

3)      Red Wine – Terra Tangra Cuvee (2006) – Amazing Wine

4)      Red Wine – Thcerga – Good Choice

5)      Red Wine – Katarzyna Estate Twins – Good Wine

6)      Red Wine – Katarzyna Estate  Halla – Amazing Wine

7)   Red Wines - Via Diagonalis - Good Wine

So here it is, another of my precious secrets, I keep a good collection of some of these exquisite wines in order to support many of my dishes and with that generate surprise and wonder to my guests.

Like they say in Bulgaria…

Nasdrave (Salut)

Chef Gourmet Du Art