Cape Verde

The dish

Cape Verde is our first “C” country! Cachupa refogada fries up leftover cachupa and turns it into a delicious breakfast. I made the cachupa the day before.

What we thought

I loved this dish. I would give it one of my highest ratings and actually ate it for several days after making it. The taste was perfect. My kids and wife hated this dish, which is why it has such a low rating. They did not like the sausage and egg combination. This takes the lead for the biggest division on a dish. I would make it again just for myself. 3.1/5.

Ingredients and directions

Stage 1: Cachupa (Prepared the day before)

Ingredients

• 2 cans white hominy, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz linguiça or Portuguese chouriço, sliced into rounds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
• ½ small cabbage, roughly chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste (I used a lot of salt to get it to the taste I wanted)
• Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Brown the sausage. Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the linguiça and cook for 4–5 minutes until browned. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
2. Heat oil over medium-high in the pot used to cook the sausage. Once hot, cook the diced onion for about 8 minutes until the onions are soft and beginning to turn golden.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the smoked paprika and bay leaves and cook for about 30 seconds.
4. Add the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to release the browned bits. Add the carrots and sweet potato. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes.
5. Add the hominy and beans. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes.
6. Add the sausage and cabbage. Cook for 8–12 minutes at a simmer. All of the vegetables should be tender at this point. If not, continue cooking until the sweet potatoes are fork tender (but still retain their shape) and the cabbage has lost its crispness.
7. Remove the bay leaves. If the stew is very soupy, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The mixture should be moist and cohesive but not swimming in broth. The favors should be that of a good soup.
8. Transfer the stew to container that can go in the fridge overnight. Cool until you can put it in the fridge then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Note: I recommend enjoying the stew for dinner while reserving enough for breakfast. The recipe makes enough to eat the night before and the day of. Plus, the stew is super tasty by itself.

Stage 2: Cachupa Refogada

Ingredients

• 4–6 cups leftover cold cachupa
• 1–2 tbsp olive oil, as needed
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 4–5 eggs
• 4 oz extra linguiça or chouriço, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Pepper and salt for taste

Directions

1. Remove the cachupa from the refrigerator. Drain any liquid in the stew. The mixture should be moist but not watery.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the extra linguiça and cook until browned on both sides, about 3–5 minutes.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes. Cook for 2–3 minutes until browned and beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Transfer the tomatoes to the plate with the sausage.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the sliced onion and cook for 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onion should be soft when done.
5. Add the cold cachupa in an even layer, pressing it gently down into the pan. Let it cook undisturbed over medium to medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. although this could be shorter (like 5 minutes) depending on how much liquid was left in your capucha after draining. Check regularly to see if its crisped up.
6. Use a broad spatula to turn the cachupa in sections. Press it down again and cook for another 4–6 minutes, allowing more golden, crispy patches to develop. Avoid stirring constantly.
7. In a separate pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat. Fry the eggs to your preference. I think a runny center is better for this dish as the egg yolk mixes deliciously with the fried capucha.
8. Mound the crispy cachupa on a plate. Arrange the seared linguiça and blistered tomatoes around it. Top each serving with a fried egg and finish with cilantro, salt, and pepper.