Recipes
Portuguese Cod with Fideos
Serves 4
| Prep Time: 5 mins
| Cook Time: 15 mins
| Total Time: 20 mins
You may need: Azorean Acafroa
Discover The Recipe
Portugal's history and heritage is linked to the sea. There could be no accurate culinary description of Portugal without a recipe or two using cod, one of the quintessential ingredients of Portuguese cuisine. Many dishes use salt-cod, a dried and salted type of preserved cod that for centuries was the primary export of Europe. We've created this Portuguese cod with fideos dish to mimic their neighbors' Spanish paella, using thin noodles called Fideos (pronounced 'FEED-yos' in Portuguese) in place of rice and fresh cod instead of salt cod.
This recipe is flavored with a unique blend we've created that incorporates a spice called açafroa ('ah-sa-FRO-ah'), the petals of the Safflower plant. One of the oldest recorded spices, safflower has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs and was also used as a dye for royal wardrobes. Safflower is used to provide a subtle color, taste, and a lovely aroma that is suggestive of a sweet, chocolatey, tobacco. Our Azorean Açafroa spice blend can be used to add flavor to soups, stews, rice, or grain dishes. Add 1 tbsp per 3 cups liquid.
Ingredients
4 5-ounce cod filets, cut into 4 inch sections 1 small yellow onion
1 bell pepper, red or green
1.5 tsp salt (optional)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 (15 oz) can of low-salt crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-salt vegetable stock
2 Tbsp Piquant Post Azorean Açafroa blend
7 oz fideos (or other vermicelli-style noodle)
handful of parsley, chopped (optional)
Notes
Fideos are a vermicelli style pasta cut into small pieces. This thin pasta cooks up quickly and absorbs any flavor you add to the cooking liquid. It can be used as a rice substitute and in this recipe we create a ‘pasta paella’. Also, it is traditionally used in soups called sopas. If making a soup, use 6-8 cups of broth for every 7 oz of dried pasta.
Fideos can be found in the Latino section of most major supermarkets or in Mexican mercados.
Unless you're using perfectly ripened tomatoes at the height of the season, we find the next best thing is to use canned tomatoes which are harvested and canned at peak ripeness.
Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.
Instructions
Halve, peel and finely dice the onion. Next, remove the core from the bell pepper and slice into 1/2 inch wide strips. Season cod with 1/2 tsp of salt (optional).
Heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on Med-High. Then, add olive oil, onions, bell pepper and 1/2 tsp salt (optional). Stir occasionally for 5 mins or until fully cooked and lightly browned.
Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, spice blend and remaining salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
Once the broth is boiling, stir in fideos, reducing heat to Med-Low. Then, carefully arrange cod pieces evenly throughout the pan ensuring they are fully submerged in the liquid. (If unable to be covered in the liquid, flip fillets half way through cooking.) Finally, cook uncovered for approximately 6 mins or until pasta and fish are fully cooked. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Alternatives & Substitutions
Up your game by adding in shellfish to this recipe for a full seafood experience. Startwith a wide, deep pan with a fitted lid. Add in a pound each of cleaned (washed and debearded) mussels and clams at step number 4. Cover with a lid and following remaining directions.
Turn this recipe into a vegetarian delight by removing the cod and adding in Iberian vegetables like artichokes, fava beans, green beans and cauliflower.
Use this Azorean Açafroa Spice Blend for adding flavor and color to any rice or grain dish. Add in 1 tablespoon with every 3 cups liquid during cooking time.
This combination of Açafroa, lemon rind, thyme and bay leaf pairs perfectly with seafood, the staple food of the region. These flavors will release in a hot liquid, so add to any soups or braised fish dishes like a classic Portuguese Fish Stew called Caldeirada.
Try making our delicious Shrimp Mozambique recipe with this spice for an easy alternative. Another simple comfort food with a tasty Portuguese twist is our Sopa de Tomate with Tosta Mista.
Don't forget to leave comments and feedback on your meals and experiments in the comments for others to read.
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Portuguese Cod with Fideos
Serves
4
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Piquant Post spice you'll need: Azorean Acafroa
Ingredients
4 5-ounce cod filets, cut into 4 inch sections 1 small yellow onion
1 bell pepper, red or green
1.5 tsp salt (optional)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 (15 oz) can of low-salt crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-salt vegetable stock
2 Tbsp Piquant Post Azorean Açafroa blend
7 oz fideos (or other vermicelli-style noodle)
handful of parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
Halve, peel and finely dice the onion. Next, remove the core from the bell pepper and slice into 1/2 inch wide strips. Season cod with 1/2 tsp of salt (optional).
Heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot on Med-High. Then, add olive oil, onions, bell pepper and 1/2 tsp salt (optional). Stir occasionally for 5 mins or until fully cooked and lightly browned.
Add crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, spice blend and remaining salt. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
Once the broth is boiling, stir in fideos, reducing heat to Med-Low. Then, carefully arrange cod pieces evenly throughout the pan ensuring they are fully submerged in the liquid. (If unable to be covered in the liquid, flip fillets half way through cooking.) Finally, cook uncovered for approximately 6 mins or until pasta and fish are fully cooked. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
Fideos are a vermicelli style pasta cut into small pieces. This thin pasta cooks up quickly and absorbs any flavor you add to the cooking liquid. It can be used as a rice substitute and in this recipe we create a ‘pasta paella’. Also, it is traditionally used in soups called sopas. If making a soup, use 6-8 cups of broth for every 7 oz of dried pasta.
Fideos can be found in the Latino section of most major supermarkets or in Mexican mercados.
Unless you're using perfectly ripened tomatoes at the height of the season, we find the next best thing is to use canned tomatoes which are harvested and canned at peak ripeness.
Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.
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