By: Chevaun Roux. Recipes: Michelle Lopes: Photographs: Curtis Gallon. Article from the November 2014 issue of Food and Home Entertaining Magazine.
Passionate about her culture and its food but keeping up to date with current foodie trends, Michelle Lopes puts a ‘Banting’ spin on Traditional Portuguese dishes.
Having spent most of her life surrounded by food, Michelle Lopes has not only developed a deep passion for it, but found a lifestyle to suit her culture and create a world she loves. “Whether it was with my mom at work or at home, there was always food.” Her childhood consisted of evenings spent bent over her kitchen stove, peering into one of the many Portuguese creations her mother was cooking up that night, while weekends and school holidays had her working at her mother’s cornerside café in Joburg’s Alexandra township.
Michelle’s heritage hails from the Madeira islands, just off the south-west coast of Portugal, and, although she was born in South Africa, the culture and ways of the Portuguese remained constant while she grew up – from the language spoken at home to the food that was served every night at
“It also came from having aunts and friends over on the weekend and we would sit and make Portuguese couscous from scratch, bake cakes and all that; I think my love for it came from there.”
dinner, Michelle’s patriotic Portuguese mother ensured their heritage was never lost on Michelle and her sister. “It also came from having aunts and friends over on the weekend and we would sit and make Portuguese couscous from scratch, bake cakes and all that; I think my love for it came from there,” she says. At the age of four, Michelle found herself hands deep in cake batter. After returning from a phone call, Michelle’s mother realised she had “added the eggs to the mixture with no problem”, only to find three full eggs (shells and all) perfectly mixed into the cake batter. “My mom says that, from that day, she knew I had a real love for food.”
Mimi Jardim has also played a role in the moulding and creation of Michelle’s food career. “I remember going to her house as a kid and I would just sit there and watch her cook all the traditional food. I loved seeing all these dishes I knew so well being made for groups of people.” It was Mimi’s caldo verde soup that got Michelle ‘in’ with her mother-in-law – as Portuguese tradition stands, any woman wanting to marry into a Portuguese family first needs to prove that she is able to make this traditional potato-based soup, which, of course, Michelle could do.
Michelle’s step into the world of cheffing was a risky one at the time, especially as a woman: “They are hard on women in the industry,” she says. Her mind, however, was made up and, after matriculating, she went straight into the hotel industry with the hopes of honing and increasing her culinary skills. Michelle now works as a chef, recipe developer, teacher and self-proclaimed Gordon Ramsay (but without the fiery tendencies) at Joburg’s Chef MLK School of Cooking, headed by executive chef Martin Kobald. “For where I am now, I’m very grateful for everything that I’ve done because I love working – no day is ever the same,” Michelle enthuses. The diversity of MLK means she gets to not only teach the authentic foods that she was raised on to students of all ages, but she also gets to consult to restaurants and be part of the excitement of catering and eventing.
Michelle and her husband (also of Portuguese descent) are now raising their nine-month-old son, Raphael, on the same philosophies and cultures they grew up with. At such a young age, Raphael is already venturing into the world of food with abandon: “He’ll eat anything – ostrich, salmon, bok choi even. Whatever we get, he’ll try.” Balancing family life and the demanding (and ever- changing) schedule of a chef can have its drawbacks, but MLK allows Michelle to maintain a sense of normalcy in her hours and travels, and keeps her close to home. “It allows me to do what I love and still have a family.”
Braaied espetada (meat kebabs)
Nothing beats a braai, especially with family and good food. Espetada are the perfect reason for this, particularly during the summer months
Serves 4-5 EASY 10-15 mins (once the fire is ready)
The flavour combinations
2,5ml (1/2 tsp) coarse salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
10 fresh bay leaves, roughly torn
5ml (1 tsp) coconut oil
1kg ostrich fillet, cut into 4cm x 4cm cubes
4-5 bay leaf branches, tips sharpened
lemon wedges, to serve
How to do it
1. Create the marinade by mixing the coarse salt, garlic and bay leaves together in a bowl. Rub coconut oil over the ostrich cubes before spearing them onto the bay leaf-branch skewers. Coat the ostrich in the marinade.
2. Place the skewers over a braai of medium heat and cook until golden brown and medium, 10 – 15 minutes, turning halfway. Shake off excess salt and serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
Caldo verde (kale soup)
Caldo verde is a classic Portuguese kale or spinach and potato soup served either as a starter or main, primarily during winter. The replacement of potatoes with cauliflower makes this a great option for those following the Banting diet
Serve 4-6 EASY 40 – 45 mins
The flavour combinations
2 cauliflower heads, roughly chopped
1,250L (6 cups) water
15ml (1 tbsp) coconut oil
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
15ml (1 tbsp) garlic, crushed
1 chorizo, sliced
450g kale, shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to do it
1. Place the cauliflower and water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until soft, 20 – 25 minutes.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion and sauté, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fry, 30 seconds, before adding the chorizo and frying until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
3. Blitz the cauliflower and cooking water in a blender until smooth. Return to the saucepan, add the kale and cook, 10 – 15 minutes. Add the chorizo and onion mix, season to taste and serve.
Carne de porcoà alentejana (pork and clam dish)
A Portuguese take on surf and turf, this is a delicious summer dish with a Banting twist – high in fat and carb free
Serves 2 – 4 A LITTLE EFFORT
30 mins + extra, to marinate
The flavour combinations
500g pork fillet, cubed
375ml (1½ cups) white wine
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
4 bay leaves, torn
15ml (1 tbsp) paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5ml (1 tsp) olive oil
30ml (2 tbsp) coconut oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
15ml (1 tbsp) garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
15ml (1 tbsp) chilli, crushed
190g – 200g (depending on their size) clams, in shell
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
30ml (2 tbsp) fresh parsley, chopped
How to do it
1. For the stew, marinate the pork in the wine, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove the pork and reserve the marinade, discarding the garlic and bay leaves.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the pork, stirring frequently so that the meat browns quickly and evenly, 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Pour the reserved marinade into the pan and bring to a boil, scraping off any brown bits clinging to the inside of the pan. Boil, uncovered, until reduced by a third. Pour over the pork and set aside.
3. Heat the coconut oil in a clean saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft but not brown, 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes and chilli and continue to cook for 1 minute. Spread the clams over the sauce, cover and cook over high heat until the clams open, about 10 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Stir in the pork and marinade and simmer to heat thoroughly, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
Abobóra frita
This great side dish works well with any meat or fish dish. By replacing the traditional maize with butternut, it is a more Banting-friendly version
Serves 4-6 EASY 30 mins
The flavour combinations
250g butternut, peeled, cubed and cooked
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
100g kale, shredded
2 eggs
150g almond flour
50g coconut flour
coconut oil, to fry
How to do it
1. Mash the butternut, add the remaining ingredients and mix well until a thick dough is formed.
2. Either roll the dough into small balls or cut into 3cm x 4cm squares. Fry in the coconut oil over high heat until crispy, 2-3 minutes.
Bacalhauà brás-style monkfish pie
A traditional dish from Lisbon, Portugal, mainly using salted cod; however, as cod is not on the SASSI Green List, try this recipe using monkfish
Serves 2 – 4 A LITTLE EFFORT 30 mins
The flavour combinations
500g monkfish fillet
avocado oil, to fry
4 aubergines, par-cooked and sliced
2 onions, peeled and sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
10ml (2 tsp) salt
4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and sliced
12 black olives, pitted and sliced
fresh parsley, to garnish
How to do it
1. Remove any bones and skin from the monkfish, then gently break into flakes. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and lightly fry the aubergine slices, 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Fry the onions, 5-6 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for a further minute. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Sprinkle in the monkfish and salt and fry over medium heat, in the same pan that the onions were fried in, until golden, 8-10 minutes.
4. In a serving dish, layer the aubergine and onion mix followed by the eggs. Top with the monkfish and olives and serve garnished with parsley.
Rissóis de camarãao or rissóis de chorizo. (prawn or chorizo pies)
Makes 10 – 12 A LITTLE EFFORT 1 hr 30 mins
The flavour combinations
Pastry
125ml (1/2 cup) milk
5ml (1 tsp) salt
100g almond flour
coconut flour, to dust
Prawn Filling
5ml (1 tsp) butter
5ml (1 tsp) coconut oil
¼ onion, finely diced
7,5ml (1½ tsp) garlic, finely chopped
165g prawn meat, diced
1/2 tomato, finely chopped
5ml (1 tsp) paprika
100ml vinho verde (Portuguese white wine)
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5ml (1 tsp) fresh parsley, finely chopped
Chorizo Filling
5ml (1 tsp) butter
5ml (1 tsp) coconut oil
1 chorizo, finely diced 1 tomato,
finely diced 10 black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
egg wash, to brush
coconut oil, to deep-fry
Coating
4 eggs, beaten
210g desiccated coconut
How to do it
1. For the pastry, mix together all the ingredients until a dough is formed, 3-4 minutes. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside to rest, 1 hour.
2. For the prawn filling, melt the butter and coconut oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the onion, 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic and continue to fry until golden. Add the prawn meat and tomato, then the paprika and wine and allow to reduce, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Allow to cool before using as the filling.
3. For the chorizo filling, melt the butter and coconut oil in a pan over medium heat, add the chorizo, tomato and olives, and fry, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before using.
4. To assemble the rissóis, roll out the pastry with a rolling pin, making it as thin as possible, about 0,2cm. Cut out a circle using a cookie cutter and place a teaspoonful of prawn or chorizo filling on one half. Egg-wash the pastry ends and fold over. Using a fork, press down the edges to ensure no filling falls out. Repeat with the remaining pastry and filling.
5. Preheat the coconut oil in a deep-fryer or deep pot (two-thirds full) to a medium heat. For the coating, dip the rissóis in the beaten eggs, then in the coconut and deep-fry until golden, 2-3 minutes.
Rissóis are often served as appetises at functions or family gatherings. They are also a great treat when having coffee or as an afternoon snack.
