Filetes de Cavala Fritos com Puré de Tomate é um prato que celebra a riqueza do mar com a simplicidade dos sabores da horta. A cavala, um peixe saboroso e nutritivo, ganha uma nova vida quando frita até ficar dourada e crocante, servida sobre um puré de tomate caseiro, rico e aveludado. Este prato é uma verdadeira expressão da cozinha portuguesa: honesta, reconfortante e cheia de sabor.

Ingredientes

  • Cavalas q.b. (limpas e cortadas em filetes)
  • Sal q.b.
  • Farinha para panar
  • Ovos batidos (temperados com sal e pimenta preta moída na ocasião)
  • Azeite virgem para fritar
  • 1,5 kg de tomates maduros (sem peles nem sementes, cortados em pedaços)
  • 1 pitada de açúcar
  • Pimenta preta moída na ocasião q.b.
  • 1 cebola picada
  • 4 dentes de alho picados
  • 2 alhos franceses (cortados às rodelas)
  • 2 colheres de sopa de vinagre
  • Salsa picada para polvilhar

Preparação

  1. Retirei a cabeça e as tripas das cavalas, lavei bem e cortei cada uma em 2 filetes. Depois, dividi cada filete ao meio, retirando as espinhas centrais.
  2. Temperei os filetes com sal e deixei-os repousar.
  3. Passei os filetes por farinha e depois por ovo batido temperado com sal e pimenta. Fritei em azeite fervente e coloquei sobre papel absorvente.
  4. Coei o azeite e levei uma parte ao lume com os tomates. Temperei com sal, pimenta preta e uma pitada de açúcar. Deixei cozer até reduzir a puré.
  5. Numa frigideira, com outra parte do azeite da fritura, alourei a cebola, os alhos e os alhos franceses.
  6. Antes de servir, reguei os filetes com vinagre a ferver e polvilhei com salsa picada.

Bringing a taste of the Portuguese seaside to your kitchen, here is our freshly translated recipe.

Fried Mackerel Fillets with Tomato Purée

This dish of Fried Mackerel Fillets with Tomato Purée is a beautiful example of classic Portuguese home cooking, where simple, high-quality ingredients are transformed into a truly satisfying meal. Mackerel, an oily fish celebrated for its rich flavour and health benefits, is perfectly suited for frying. The method of coating the fillets in flour and egg creates a light, crispy batter that encases the moist, flaky fish inside.

The foundation of this dish is a rustic, vibrant tomato purée. Using ripe, fresh tomatoes cooked down slowly creates a sauce that is both sweet and tangy, a perfect counterpoint to the rich flavour of the mackerel. The final drizzle of boiling vinegar over the fried fillets is a traditional Portuguese technique that adds a brilliant, sharp note, cutting through the richness of the oil and elevating the entire dish.

For a variation, you could add some herbs like oregano or thyme to the tomato purée for extra aromatic depth. This dish is wonderful served as is, but it also pairs beautifully with simple boiled potatoes or a fresh green salad. It’s a testament to how uncomplicated recipes can often be the most delicious and memorable.

Ingredients

  • Mackerel, to taste (cleaned and cut into fillets)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Flour for coating
  • Beaten eggs (seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper)
  • Virgin olive oil for frying
  • 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes (peeled, deseeded, and chopped)
  • 1 pinch of sugar
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 leeks (cut into rounds)
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • Chopped parsley for sprinkling

Preparação

  1. Remove the heads and guts from the mackerel, wash them well, and cut each one into 2 fillets. Then, divide each fillet in half, removing the central bones.
  2. Season the fillets with salt and let them rest.
  3. Coat the fillets first in flour and then in the beaten egg seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry in hot olive oil until golden and place on absorbent paper to drain.
  4. Strain the olive oil and return a portion of it to a saucepan with the tomatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Cook until it reduces to a purée.
  5. In a frying pan, using another portion of the frying oil, sauté the onion, garlic, and leeks until golden.
  6. Before serving, drizzle the fillets with boiling vinegar and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Arrange the fillets on top of the tomato purée and serve with the sautéed leek mixture.