Portuguese cooking doesn’t shy away from spice

Above: Betty-Ann Hickey, associate director of the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, displays two articles that speak to her Portuguese heritage: a shawl meant to be worn on pilgrimage, given to her by Cardinal Sean O’Malley; and a dove-emblazoned Holy Ghost flag, a reminder of Portugal’s jubilant celebration of Pentecost. (Photos by Beth Donze, Clarion Herald)

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

A comfort food made by her Portuguese paternal grandmother is something Betty-Ann Hickey replicates for her own family to this day: Slice some red potatoes a little more than halfway through and boil them until fork tender with salt and a clove of crushed garlic. After the potatoes cool, stuff them with lashings of Portuguese red pepper sauce to make a healthy, satisfying snack.

“I remember my (late) grandmother making these and literally just keeping them in a bowl on the dining room table,” said Hickey,  a Portuguese-fluent, first-generation American born and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts. “The closest thing I can compare them to is crab boil potatoes – the red pepper sauce permeates the potato and adds spice.”

Proud Azorean heritage

Hickey, who has served the Archdiocese of New Orleans since 2011 as the associate director of the Office of Worship, traces her roots to the Azores, a group of nine mountainous, volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, some 850 miles off the coast of Portugal.

“The Azores have a relationship with Portugal a lot like Puerto Rico has with the United States – they are part of Portugal, but they also have an  independent government,” Hickey explained. “They have their own president; they have their own flag – although they also fly the Portuguese flag – and use Portuguese money.”

During World War II, Hickey’s grandparents sent Hickey’s 8-year-old father and his siblings to America on a banana boat. The Azores were a refueling spot for aircraft crossing the Atlantic.

“My grandfather believed the Azores were a prime target,” she relates. “If the Azores were bombed, that would cripple the Allies’ ability to fly to Europe.”

The family ultimately settled in Fall River, an established hub of Portuguese immigration since the late 19th century due to opportunities in the fishing and textile industries.

Inspired by the outreach of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Hickey’s grandmother, who operated a Fall River bakery and restaurant, would feed any hungry child in her neighborhood. Young Hickey and her multitude of cousins were the recipients of Portuguese sweet bread at Easter, beautifully stuffed turkeys, roasted chestnuts and big vats of a hearty soup of collard greens, cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions, made with short ribs and homemade beef broth.

“The smells from my grandmother’s kitchen were always amazing. There was always something on the stove,” Hickey recalls. “She would tell us: ‘If you don’t eat, you’re gonna die.’”

Lent in New England

Far removed from the fish fries and extravagant meatless dishes she would discover in Louisiana were the simple Lenten meals Hickey grew up with: “cheese and a hunk of bread” for lunch, and a dinner of fish sticks, filet of fish or “Fall River Chow Mein” – chow mein strained of its meat.

“Once in a while on a Friday, you might go to the neighborhood fish place,” she said. “Every neighborhood had a fish restaurant for fish and chips or fried cod, scallops, shrimp and clams,” said Hickey, offering her spicy potatoes recipe and two other meatless options to readers of Holy Smoke (all of Hickey’s recipes are printed at the bottom of this story):

• Shrimp Mozambique, prepared with beer and Portugal’s ubiquitous red pepper sauce, is the Portuguese version of barbecued shrimp and is served on special occasions such as saints’ feasts and Sunday dinner. 

• Papas – a sweet, smooth-textured porridge – answers the age-old question: “What can I make inexpensively and with items I already have in the pantry?”

“Papas is what (Portuguese children) grew up on – it’s what you ate for breakfast in the morning,” said Hickey, noting that it also is “the ultimate” nighttime comfort food.

Animated by church work

When Hickey relocated to Louisiana with her husband Dennis – a deacon assigned to St. Anselm Church in Madisonville – and their son James, her culture shock was lessened by the numerous similarities to Fall River: the area’s Catholicity, love for rice and bread, and the similar journey undertaken by Emeril Lagasse, Hickey’s fellow Portuguese-American and Fall River native. 

“(As in Louisiana) most Portuguese dishes start out with the Holy Trinity – green pepper, onion, celery and lots of garlic,” she said.

A gifted cantor and organist from the time she was a teen, Hickey currently is music director, cantor and organist at Most Holy Trinity Church in Covington. In her main job in the Office of Worship, she provides liturgical support to clergy and laity across the archdiocese.

“Liturgical rules are not all found in one book; they’re in hundreds of documents,” she said, noting that recent questions concerned whether distribution of Communion to the sick on Holy Thursday is permitted (yes); and where to take leftover paschal candles. (“I’ve come to know different places that will recycle wax.”)

Hickey often can be found working as a behind-the-scenes coordinator of diocesan events, such as ordination Masses. One of her favorite celebrations is the dedication of a new church.

“There are so many elements that have to happen – between the sprinkling of the water, the spraying of the oil, the vesting of the altar – that when timed right, are so beautiful,” Hickey said.

“Since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated by what happened on the altar,” Hickey added. “Seeing the beauty and the mystery around it – and being able to be that close to God, to be that close to where heaven and Earth meet – was always this really intriguing, fascinating thing!”

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Portuguese Spicy Potatoes

For the potatoes:
 
8  medium-size red potatoes
½ cup Portuguese crushed red pepper sauce (see recipe below)
1  clove garlic, crushed
Water for boiling potatoes 
Salt

Directions

Wash the potatoes. With a knife, slice a little more than halfway through each potato. Fill pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add potatoes, salt and garlic. Boil potatoes until fork tender. When the potatoes begin to split, they are likely ready. Remove from water and allow to cool. While still warm, stuff potatoes with Pimenta Moída (crushed red pepper sauce).

For the Pimenta Moída (Portuguese crushed red pepper sauce)

1 bushel red peppers (Poblano or Fresno)
1  heaping cup kosher salt, plus more for topping
½  cup preserving powder

Directions

Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem and most of the seeds. Grind pepper using a meat grinder (or the grinder attachment of a stand mixer). Add salt and stir. Cover and let sit for up to 72 hours. The peppers will have a lot of liquid. They will begin to ferment and bubble. When you see that the bubbling is slowing down, the fermentation is ending. Add the preserving powder. Leave on the counter for another 24 hours. Stir and place mixture into 3 to 4 large, sanitized canning jars. Top with salt. Place lids on loosely, as fermentation may continue. Keep the lids on loosely for about three days to allow the extra gas created by the fermentation to escape. After three days you can safely tighten the lids. Refrigerate after opening. This recipe makes 3 to 4 large jars. Pimenta Moída can also be purchased online and can be used in stews, marinades and as a spicy condiment on sandwiches.

***

Shrimp Mozambique (Camarão Moçambique)

2  pounds shrimp (do not remove peel)
1 stick butter
½ large onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tablespoon Portuguese crushed red pepper (can substitute Louisiana hot sauce)
1 (12-ounce can) beer
2 packets Goya Azafran Seasoning
Salt to taste

Directions
 
In a medium pot, melt one stick of butter. Add onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic. Sauté an additional 5 minutes. Add in a pinch of salt, Goya seasoning and crushed red pepper. Stir to mix all ingredients. Add shrimp and beer. Make sure shrimp are covered with the sauce. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer until shrimp are done. Add salt as needed. Serve over white rice. Serves 4.

***

Papas (Portuguese Porridge)

2  cups whole milk
½  cup flour
¼   cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Cinnamon 

Directions 

Mix flour, sugar and salt. Simmer milk in a pot. Do not allow milk to boil. Slowly add flour, sugar and salt to milk. Whisk to avoid lumps. Continue stirring, until porridge comes to a low boil. Plate porridge immediately and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon.