What can I tell you about ‘rojões’? It is a very traditional dish from the north of Portugal and is made with marinated and fried pork, with potatoes and some kind of greens (usually cabbage). The secret is in marinating the meat substitute – I used seitan due to its consistency. The result is pretty good and flavoursome. Not a light dish to have, maybe better suited for cold wintery days, but very delicious!
Time: about 40 minutes (plus overnight marinating time)
Type: main dish
Difficulty: 2 pans
Makes: 4 servings
What you need:
about 500g seitan (see my recipe), sliced
white wine
3 bay leaves, shredded
about 2 tsp garlic granules
1.5 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp ground cumin
dash of salt
1 tbsp vegetable spread
500g new potatoes
a little extra virgin olive oil
3 handfuls of green cabbage, finely chopped
150g boiled chestnuts
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp garlic granules
chopped parsley to serve
olives to serve (optional)
Directions:
Place the seitan slices in a large container and add cumin, garlic granules, bay leaves, paprika and salt – mix it all well;
Splash a good amount of white wine over the slices- if possible, close the container, shake a little and let it marinate for as long as possible, overnight ideally;
Once seitan is ready to cook:
boil potatoes for about 5 minutes; drain and place in a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil; bake at 200C for about 10 to 15 minutes until crispy and tender – reserve once ready;
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, add chopped cabbage and a little water and water-fry over low heat for a few minutes;
Add chestnuts, soya sauce and garlic granules and let it cook for a little while (a few minutes) over low heat – reserve.
For the seitan, heat 1 tbsp of vegetable spread in a large frying pan; Add seitan slices (but not the sauce) and cook a few minutes on each side;
Add the sauce and let it cook for a further few minutes till most of the sauce evaporates;
Serve all while hot, with some chopped parsley on top and some olives.
Plant Based Portuguese 