Portuguese Chili Recipes

TRADITIONAL PORTUGUESE PIRI PIRI SAUCE FOR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together.
• Brush on chicken before barbecuing (or baking in oven @ 350 °F for 1.25 hours WITHOUT opening the door during during entire cooking process.) It helps the flavour if you marinate the chicken for a few hours prior to cooking!

PORTUGUESE PIRI-PIRI HOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Coarsely chop the peppers and discard stems.
• Place the chilis and their seeds, the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and as much of the oil as you wish in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and purée. Pour the mixture into a small glass jar and let steep for several days in the fridge.
• You can strain the mixture and return it to jar, but I like mine with a bit of texture. Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 1 month.

HOMEMADE PIMENTA MOIDA RECIPE ( PORTUGUESE PIMENTO PASTE)

Steps:

• Rinse each pepper and cut into halves.
• Remove stem and seeds, pat dry the peppers and set aside.
• Add the peppers and salt into a food processor and blend until paste like consistency.
• If you don't have a food processor, you can use any type of grinder. Grind the pepper then add the salt and mix until well combine.
• Transfer the pimento paste ( pimenta moida) into a bowl, you will notice it start to boil.
• Cover the bowl and let the peppers ferment at room temperature for 3-4 days.
• The pimenta moida will be ready once the fermentation stops and it no longer looks like the peppers are boiling.
• Add in the vinegar and stir until well combined.
• Transfer the pepper paste into cleaned glass jars with air tight lids.
• You can bypass the fermentation process by boiling the crushed peppers in a medium size pot for about 5 minutes. Then add the salt and vinegar and mix together. Transfer to air tight glass jars.
• Keep stored at room temperature until ready to use. Once jar is opened the pimento paste needs to be refrigerated.

PORTUGUESE HOT PEPPER PASTE (MASSA DE MALAGUETA)

Steps:

• Remove and discard the green caps and stems of the peppers but do not discard the seeds. Finely chop the peppers either by hand, or in a grinder or food processor. Transfer the chopped peppers to a medium bowl. Stir in the salt (and vinegar, if using), mixing thoroughly.
• Let the mixture stand in this bowl (covered) for 8 days in the refrigerator, giving the mixture a few turns every day.
• On the eighth day, pack the mixture into a sterlized jar, top it off with 1/2-inch of olive oil and refrigerate.

PORTUGUESE PERI PERI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F
• Rehydrate dried chilies in a small pot of simmering water on the stove for 20 minutes. Remove stem and seeds.
• Butterfly the chicken: Rinse inside and out, removing innards. Pat dry. Place on a cutting board, breast down. Using sharp kitchen scissors, cut along both sides of the spine, remove and discard. Turn the chicken over, and placing your hand on the breast bone, press down hard with the palm of your hand, to flatten.
• Make the marinade by blending the marinade ingredients into a paste with a blender or food processor. Brush a layer of the marinade on the bottom of your large sheet pan.
• Place the thinly sliced potatoes on top of the marinade and sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt, overlapping slightly but not too much.
• Brush all sides and crevasses of the chicken with the marinade, coating fairly heavily. (You will add more marinade during cooking, so be sure to save the remaining.) Place chicken, skin side down on the potatoes and place in the hot oven.
• Turn chicken over after 15 minutes, and place back in the oven. After 15 minutes, brush more marinade all over the chicken on the skin side, really lathering it up. Return to the oven and bake until cooked through another 15-30 minutes, or until leg/ thigh reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. The bigger the chicken, the longer this will take. ( A large, 5-6 pound chicken may take an additional 20 minutes!) To crisp the skin and get it deeply brown, broil for a few minutes. A little char is good here!!! Remove chicken when done and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving. You can continue to cook the potatoes or crisp them up ( with broiler) while resting the chicken and cutting it into pieces.
• While chicken is roasting, combine Cilantro Sauce ingredients together, either in a bowl- mixing by hand, or in a food processor. Serve cilantro sauce on the side.

PORTUGUESE CHILI

Steps:

• PLACE PINTO BEANS IN LARGE POT, COVER WITH WATER AND SOAK OVERNIGHT. DRAIN WATER AND REPLACE. REMOVE CASING FROM LINGUICA AND ROUGH CHOP.DO NOT CHOP FINE. PLACING POT ON MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT, ADD ONION AND LINGUICA TO BEANS AND BRING TO BOIL FOR 2 HOURS, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY. ( BEANS SHOULD ALWAYS BE COVERED BY WATER while cooking, add as needed OR THEY WILL BURN. ) IN SEPARATE SKILLET, CRUMBLE AND BROWN GROUND BEEF. DRAIN GROUND BEEF AND ADD TO POT. ADD SPICES AND DICED TOMATOES, TOMATO SAUCE AND PASTE, SIMMER FOR 1 HOUR. Stir ocaasionally, SAUCE WILL THICKEN.

HOW TO MAKE PIRI- PIRI SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend red pepper, jalapeno, chili pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, and onions in a food processor or blender. Add olive oil to facilitate blending. Then mix in smoked paprika, lemon juice, black or white pepper, and vinegar. Adjust for salt and seasoning. Refrigerate and use when ready.