Little Portugal: Bold and Flavorful Portuguese Cooking from My New Jersey Kitchen features a vibrant collection of 60 recipes inspired by Lauren Covas’ hometown and family. A few highlights include Classic Seafood Rice, Lemon Garlic Febras, The Fisherman’s Stew, Fire-Roasted Pepper Salad, and Arroz Doce. I will also be sharing her recipe for Grilled Octopus Carpaccio following the review.
Disclosure: I received this book from Page Street Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and statements are my own.
Lauren Covas
Lauren Covas is a first generation Portuguese-American chef with over 15 years of professional kitchen experience. She the owner of the company, Chef Covas Catering & Events, and a two time Food Network champion- both on Chopped in 2016 and Supermarket Stakeout in 2019.
Lauren is currently based in New Jersey with her family. This is her debut cookbook.
Little Portugal
Lauren begins Little Portugal with a short introduction and a few family photos before jumping into the recipes. You will also find tips along the way from cleaning squid and salt cod preparation to handling whole fish.
Chapters are divided according to the following: From the Sea, From the Farm, Steamy Soups & Stews, Shareables & Salads, and Sweet Treats. The contents page has a list of included recipes with page numbers for easy reference.
The photography and styling is provided by Donna Castellano of First Bite Photography, LLC. Every recipe is paired with a stunning full-page photo of the finished dish.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English or Portuguese. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, yield, serving ideas, ingredient notes, and helpful tips.
Grilled Octopus Carpaccio
To pair with the review, I made Lauren’s recipe for Grilled Octopus Carpaccio! She created this dish for a private dinner party as a way to get a lighter variation of a traditional grilled octopus.
This was actually my first time ever cooking with octopus and I am so excited with the results. For those like me who have minimal experience working with seafood, this Grilled Octopus Carpaccio is definitely a great place to start. It does take some planning ahead, but is overall mostly hands off with only a few ingredients.
Start by boiling the octopus (if frozen, thaw in the refrigerator first) in a pot of salted water seasoned with beer and a bay leaf. Once fork-tender, drain, rinse, and allow to cool completely.
Roll the octopus to an even thickness, then grill on each side for 2-3 minutes. Refrigerate one last time for up to an hour before very thinly slicing lengthwise and serving immediately with fresh arugula in a cilantro lime dressing.
Other Dishes
I also made The Farmer’s Succulent Pork, Classic Shrimp and Garlic, Cilantro Rice, and Sawdust Pudding.
The recipe for The Farmer’s Succulent Pork was inspired by Lauren’s uncle cooking it slowly “in a campo in the hills of Portugal’s northern farmland Minho.” Pieces of pork shoulder are marinated for about a day in a white wine mixture, then simmered and finally fried until crisp. It is paired with fork-tender potatoes and a reduced paprika-spiced wine sauce.
The Classic Shrimp and Garlic was such a fantastic starter that comes together in minutes. Shrimp are briefly marinated with lemon and parsley, then sautéed with garlic, saffron, and white wine just until cooked through.
I made the Cilantro Rice for an easy pairing with the Grilled Octopus Carpaccio. The rice is simmered in a garlic wine sauce and finished with cilantro and butter for quite the vibrant side.
The Sawdust Pudding was a particular favorite with my daughter. Sawdust Pudding (Serradura) is packed with layers of sweetened, set cream and crushed cookies- hence the “sawdust.” It needs a few hours to chill in the refrigerator, so this is also a perfect make ahead option for entertaining.
Little Portugal is a great pick for those interested in Portuguese cuisine along with innovative recipes inspired by Portuguese flavors. There is a heavy focus on a variety of seafood, but you will also find refreshing salads, comforting stews, meat-based options, and a few sweet treats. Some come together in as little as 30 minutes, while other meals take a bit more planning ahead or prep.
Most of the ingredients can be found in larger American grocery stores. Having a Portuguese market nearby will be helpful in locating items such as chouriço, salt cod, peri-peri seasoning, smoked paprika, rabbit, smoked pork belly, tripe, blood sausage, queso de Serra, and Maria cookies.
Grilled Octopus Carpaccio Recipe
Excerpt from Little Portugal
Grilled Octopus Carpaccio
Ingredients
- 4-6 pound (1.8-2.7 kilogram) fresh octopus
- 12 ounces (355 milliliters) light beer
- 1 bay leaf
- coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) Dijon mustard
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- good olive oil
- 1 cup (20 grams) arugula
Instructions
- Place the whole octopus in a pot of salted water with the beer and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
- Let boil for 30 to 45 minutes, until fork tender.
- Drain and rinse the octopus under cold water and let it cool completely in the refrigerator. This helps firm up the meat, making it easier to slice thinly.
- Lay out a piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board.
- Place the cooled octopus on the plastic wrap and then cover it with another piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin or heavy pan to gently flatten the octopus to an even thickness.
- Preheat the grill to 375˚F (190˚C) and lightly oil the grates.
- Grill the octopus for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Once grilled, place the octopus in the refrigerator for up to an hour.
- In a bowl, combine the Dijon, lemon zest, lemon juice, cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Take the octopus out of the refrigerator and, using a sharp knife, slice the octopus as thinly as possible lengthwise. Shingle the thinly sliced octopus on a platter.
- Toss the arugula lightly in half of the dressing and place on top of the octopus.
- Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the octopus. Serve immediately.
Mimi Rippee
Fantastic! I bet this octopus is more tender grilled first rather than sliced raw. Great recipe, and it sounds like a great book.