Sardines Panfried with Tomato & Capsicum Rice

If there is one food that reminds me  of Portugal, it's sardines. Sardines, bring back so many memories of my childhood. The distinct smell wafting in the air as they were barbecuing outside or pan fried & served with a salad of grilled capsicum & tomato in summer & served with tomato rice in the colder months.
The smell of sardines cooking, take me back to our terrace house in Surry Hills sitting around our table eating these small pilchards. I'd enjoy eating these but it wasn't long before I would start chocking on the small bones, without looking up or stopping what she was doing my mum would toss a small piece of bread my way & tell me to eat, this would dislodge the small bones she'd say.
The memory makes me laugh, we definitely weren't molly coddled as kids.

If Bacalhau (dried Cod fish) is the main course in the Portuguese diet then Sardines are the entree. 
Sardines are so beloved by the Portuguese, you'll find them on every restaurant menu in Portugal. At home they are cooked simply usually whole as this retains  flavor & moisture.
   

Ingredients

For the Sardines

• 12 sardines, gutted & scaled
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tea salt
• 1 tea white pepper
• 1 cup oil to fry ( 

Tomato & Capsicum Rice

• 1 cup rice
• 1 large white onion, small dice
• 4 garlic cloves chopped
• 100ml olive oil
• 1/2 capsicum, deseeded, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups tomato passatta (tomato pulp) if you don't have that use diced tomatoes
• 1 tea paprika
• 2 tea salt
• 4 cups water
• 2 tab parsley flat leaf

 1. In a pot (heat should be a medium to hot flame) add the olive oil.
Add the onion, garlic & fry for 1 minute then add the capsicum & bay leaves  cooking for   another  minute.     
Add the rice & stir coating the grains with the oil. Then add the paprika & salt.
Add the tomatoes & water. Bring the water to the boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to low & cover. Cook the rice for 20 minutes.

2. Before you cook the rice make sure the sardines are cleaned.

 3. Put the flour, salt & pepper on a plate. Coat the sardines with the flour.
Then in a fry pan heat the oil. Then fry the sardines. This should take 3 or 4 minutes on each side.

4. Once the rice is cooked switch off  the heat. The rice should be wet. Be aware that the rice absorbs water, so you need to serve immediately otherwise your rice will be dry. 

 5. The sardines remain juicy & moist.

6. I love eating sardines this way in winter. The rice adds a bit of depth & warmth to the cool weather. 

This is a restaurant right on the beach, not near it but right on it. It's location is in the Algarve, Portugal. The restaurant sign says Barbecued Sardines,the restaurant served different types of food which was simple & fresh.
 

Baked Fish with tomatoes,capsicum & potatoes - Peixe Assado no Forno

I adore seafood, I guess it goes back to my childhood . Both my parents were born & raised in the Algarve which is in the south of Portugal.
Seafood, is one of this regions main staple. We ate more seafood than meat as my mother was a vegetarian, who ate small amounts of fish.
The most vivid childhood food memories I have was of eating squid in black ink with boiled potatoes, polenta with pipis, grilled sardines, sea snails cooked in a pot with lots of garlic & white wine & baked fish with tomatoes,capsicum & potatoes.
I guess this dish was my families version of a roast dinner, which is so popular here in Australia. Actually I'd never tasted a roast dinner until I was in my 20's , a Greek friend of mine married an Australian so she'd make it most weekends.

I used spanish mackerel cutlets for this dish,although you can use whole snapper,which is what my mother would use, basically you can use any fish except salmon.


Ingredients

2 large onions,cut into round slices
8 garlic cloves,chopped
8 medium potatoes,cut into slices & par boil
1/2 red capsicum
3 tab massa de pimentao (capsicum paste)
1 bunch parsley,chopped
4 fresh bay leaves
2 cups white wine
1/2 cup olive oil
4x150g spanish mackrel
4 tomatoes, sliced
salt to taste

1. Put your potatoes in a pan, add cold water with some salt & put them on the boil . When the potatoes come to the boil,immediately drain them into a colander.You just want them to be slightly cooked, but not cooked all the way.

2. Heat your pan & add your oil. Then fry your onions, when there a bit soft add the garlic,the capsicum & bay leaves. Adding the parsley stalk at this time is also a good idea as it adds flavour
3. Then add the tomatoes mixing gently so they don't break & then add the massa de pimentao(capsicum paste) & fry for 2 minutes on medium heat
4. Add the white wine,salt & bring to the boil.Just bring it to the boil & take it off, you dont want the tomatoes to brake down & cook too much,you want them to keep there shape.
5. Lay your fish raw on a baking tray, then scatter the potatoes all over the pan on top of the fish & between gaps & then pour the mixture on top. Scatter the parsley on top & a 1/3 cup of olive oil on top for extra moisture & flavour.

6. Bake the fish for 20 - 25 min at 190 degress or till your fish is cooked.
Serve with a green salad