Provincetown Portuguese Cookbook

Peixe

Spicy Salt Cod Cakes with Chouriço and Stewed Fava Beans | Essence - Rustic Rub | Cod Fish Cakes | Boiled Codfish Dinner | Codfish Casserole | Cod Fish Salad | Brazilian Fish Stew | Marinated Fish Steaks in Spicy Wine Sauce | Tim's Portuguese Codfish | Amêijoas Na Cataplana | Amêijoas Bulho Pato | Sea Clam Casserole | Portuguese Clams and Rice | Moon's Mussels | Shrimp Cake | Catfish Vinho D'Alhos | Joyce's Stuffed Flounder | Clara's Flounder | Stuffed Squid | Madeira Squid Stew with Couscous | Tillie's Mackerel | Portuguese Fish Bake

Michael Henrique

The proportions in this recipe are very flexible. It's up to the cook and what's on hand in the kitchen to determine the amounts of each ingredient. One nice twist is the addition of the fresh spinach, providing both color and flavor.

5 to 6 dozen mussels

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup olive oil

2 to 3 cloves minced garlic. Use more if you prefer.

Freshly chopped parsley, a good handful

1 to 2 tsp. oregano

Chopped fresh basil to taste

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

1 cup of good, white Portuguese wine

1 lemon, cut into wedges

2 lbs. fresh spinach, scrupulously cleaned

In a large kettle, add the butter and olive oil and heat. Sauté the garlic with the herbs and the pepper. Add the mussels and wine and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and steam until the mussels are open. As with all shellfish, discard any mussels that do not open. Place the fresh spinach in bowls. Add the mussels and ladle over the broth. The broth will wilt the spinach. Serve with wedges of lemon.

Serves 2 for dinner or 4 as an appetizer.