This had to be the first recipe I share here! The traditional recipe is called ” Bacalhau à Brás”, and well, there’s no translation for that really so I called it “mess”, because it is a weird combination of ingredients, but trust me, it works! It is a main dish, and in this version, 100% vegan 🙂
Time: 30 min approx.
Type: main dish
Difficulty: 1 pan
Serves 3-4 people
What you need
Food:
1 medium brown onion
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium leeks
2 bay leaves
1-2 tsp garlic powder/granules
1 pack of thin crisps (150-200g)
1 block of firm tofu (300-400g)
1-2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp white pepper
1-2 nori sheets (cut in small pieces, about 1cm square)
About 3 tbsp of soya/oat cream
Black Himalayan salt to taste
A handful of chopped parsley
A few black olives for decoration
Utensils:
Large pan (with lid if possible)
Sieve
Knife
Chopping board
Directions:
Roughly chop the onion into small chunks; slice the leek into thin circles and cut in half the bigger ones (discard the green ends);
Put the olive oil, onion, leek, bay leaves and the garlic powder in the pan and slowly cook in medium/low heat, placing the lid if available; stir from time to time to separate all the leek layers. This might take about 10 min;
In the meantime, crumble the tofu in small pieces using the sieve to let go of the water (but you don’t need to soak it before), as if doing scrambled tofu. Chop the parsley;
Once the onion and leek are cooked and soft, remove the bay leaves, add the crisps and let it cook for a few minutes until soft, stirring frequently to avoid burning;
Add the crumbled tofu, pepper turmeric and black salt, stirring and mixing it well. Let it cook for a few minutes;
Add the soya cream and the nori and stir occasionally. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes;
Add the parsley and stir just enough to incorporate everything. You want a soft consistency and a salty, sea taste (add more nori sheets if you want more of a sea flavour).
Serve immediately (placing the olives on top), with a nice salad or some roasted vegetables.
Plant Based Portuguese 