Portuguese specialties

These dishes were prepared by John Peru Portuguese Pioneer Civic Club of Hawaii on "The Electric Kitchen" Sunday. The program airs at 4:30 p.m. on KITV/ABC.

All the recipes from the show, as well as an archive of recipes dating to 1995, are available at the Hawaiian Electric Co. Web site, www.heco.com.

Camaroes a Portuguesa

(Portuguese-Style Shrimp)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large very ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, diced (about 1 one cup)
1 bay leaf, torn in half
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
3-1/2 pounds (16/20 count) unshelled shrimp, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons butter
Chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté until golden brown. Stir in tomato, bay leaf, garlic, cilantro and red pepper; cook over high heat until mixture is soft, about 15 minutes.

Stir in wine, boil about 3 minutes.

Add shrimp and salt; stir gently. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until shrimp is cooked, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to serving dish; cover to keep warm.

Add butter to tomato mixture; pour into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve puréed mixture as dip for shrimp as you peel them. Serves 6.

Lentilbas com Porco

(Lentil and Ham Shank Stew)
1 pound brown dry lentils
1 pound ham shanks
2 to 3 quarts water
2 bay leaves, torn in half
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 whole allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 large potatoes, cubed
1 large red bell pepper, roasted, skinned, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Soak lentils overnight; rinse and drain.

Put ham shanks in large pot; cover with water. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 minced garlic clove and allspice. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer 35 to 40 minutes; skim.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil; add remaining bay leaf and garlic, paprika, onions, celery and carrots; fry until softened and lightly brown. Add to ham shanks with the vinegar, potatoes and lentils. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer 35 minutes.

Remove ham shanks and cut meat from bone; return meat to stew. Stir in red pepper and parsley. Serve hot over rice. Serves 8.

Nutritional information unavailable.