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Recipe: Ervilhas Guisadas, Portuguese-style Braised Peas

Name: Ervilhas Guisadas, Portuguese-style Braised Peas
Cuisine: Lisbon
Ingredients: For the piso; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 large sprig cilantro (20g), chopped; 1 clove garlic (5g), peeled and sliced; 1 tablespoon olive oilFor the peas; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 100g cured pork belly (bacon), sliced; 4 tablespoons white wine; 100g chouriço, spicy Portuguese sausage, sliced (Spanish chorizo or other fully cooked pork sausage can be substituted); 3 cloves of garlic (15g total), peeled and crushed; 1 medium onion (150g), peeled, halved and sliced; 2 large ripe tomato (250g), diced; 1kg peas (peak-of-season fresh peas are worth seeking out, but the dish doesn't suffer too much from the use of frozen peas); 1 bay leaf 600ml vegetable stock; 1 teaspoon salt 4 eggsFor serving; 1 large mint leaves (20g), leaves separated and torn 1 small sprig cilantro (20g), leaves only torn 1 teaspoon minced garlic Bread Chili oil (optional)

By Austin Bush

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Recipe Information

Come spring, Portugal revels in green-hued produce: fava beans, asparagus, artichoke, spinach and other leaves. Peas feature in this bounty, but the ubiquity of frozen peas means that the dish makes frequent appearances on tasca and restaurant menus during all times of year.

Ingredients

For the piso
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large sprig cilantro (20g), chopped
1 clove garlic (5g), peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
100g cured pork belly (bacon), sliced
4 tablespoons white wine
100g chouriço, spicy Portuguese sausage, sliced (Spanish chorizo or other fully cooked pork sausage can be substituted)
3 cloves of garlic (15g total), peeled and crushed
1 medium onion (150g), peeled, halved and sliced
2 large ripe tomato (250g), diced
1kg peas (peak-of-season fresh peas are worth seeking out, but the dish doesn't suffer too much from the use of frozen peas)
1 bay leaf 600ml vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

For serving
1 large mint leaves (20g), leaves separated and torn

1 small sprig cilantro (20g), leaves only torn

1 teaspoon minced garlic Bread Chili oil (optional)

Preparation

Step One

Prepare the piso:

With a mortar and pestle, pound and grind the salt, garlic and cilantro to a rough paste. Add the olive oil, grind until it has a smooth consistency. Set aside.

Step Two

Prepare the dish:

In a large saucepan or casserole, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork belly, sauté until some of the fat is extracted and the pork is slightly caramelized, around 2 minutes. Deglaze with 2 tablespoons of white wine. Add the chouriço, garlic and onion, sauté until the onion is tender, around 5 minutes. Add the piso and tomato, sauté until the tomato is tender, around 5 minutes. Deglaze with 2 tablespoons of white wine. Add the peas, bay leaf, 600ml of the vegetable stock (or enough to reach just below the level of the peas) and the salt, increase the heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Reduce heat to a simmer, put the lid on and simmer for five minutes, or until the peas are just tender. Crack the eggs into the mixture, shifting the whites gently to encourage even cooking, return the lid and simmer until the eggs are just set, around 5 minutes. To serve, garnish the dish with the mint, cilantro and garlic, and serve with bread and chili oil, if desired.

Written & photos by Austin Bush

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