An early fall tradition in Portuguese homes the world over is the making of Pimenta Moida (Pee-men-tah Mo-ee-dah).  A staple in any good Portuguese cooking, this one ingredient can at times single handedly determine if a dish can be considered “Portuguese”.  If you follow my blog, you have seen me use this ingredient time and time again in such dishes as Shrimp Mozambique, Portuguese Beef Stew and Portuguese Baked Beans.  And like most Portuguese cooking, each family seems to have a slight variation on just how they make, preserve and store this amazing little ingredient.

In my family, the making of Pimenta Moida is left to my Dad. I’m not sure how this happened, but I suspect it has to do with his non-porous and almost leathery hands that don’t get so affected by the burning hot peppers… Anyone else would most definitely need to wear good gloves and double up on the gloves if you know what’s good for you!  I have done it in the past and my hands and arms were red hot for days, I certainly learned my lesson. This year my Dad put 4 bushels of peppers through the manual pepper grinder! (I think even he used gloves for at least some of it!)

There is a process to making and preserving Portuguese Style Ground Red Peppers.  I will take you through the process again in the tutorial, but to sum it up you only need three ingredients.  We use, hot red peppers (although not the hottest of the hot), salt and preserving powder. We use the preserving powder so that we can store it outside the refrigerator.  Some families use olive oil, some add in garlic and some will incorporate lots of seeds.  We don’t. We wash and allow peppers to dry.  Then cut them, clean them by removing the stem and seeds.  Grind them using an old-fashioned grinder and add a whole lot of salt. Then allow to “boil” or ferment.  Once the fermentation process is coming to an end, we add in preserving powder.  We allow that to cure a little longer and jar them.  They will keep for well over a year with this process.  Let me show you how we do it…

Here are the peppers… I actually don’t know the name of these peppers… Around here they are just called hot peppers. Although these are a milder fatter variety of the hot peppers. Still hot, but not top hot status. You can call them chili peppers or Portuguese Hot Peppers. You have a 6 week window this time of year in which to get them. Each batch starts with a bushel.

Here is the grinder… In years past, this is how people would grind their meat. Today, I suppose you could still use it for that, although in my family, this has always been it’s only use.

It comes apart for thorough washing before and after each and every use. My dad installs it on a work bench here.

After the peppers are washed and have had some time to dry, they are ready for preparation. My Dad cuts them down the center like so.

He will then remove the stem and seeds. If you like a hotter pepper you can leave in some seeds. In my family, we use the pepper for the flavor not so much the heat. So we clean all of it out.

Once the peppers are clean, it’s time to stuff them in the grinder.

My Dad pushes the peppers in careful not to catch his fingers in the grinder and at the same time he rotates the grinder arm turning the grinder wheel inside the contraption.

The pepper then comes out of the grinder and falls into a waiting bowl.

As all the pepper is ground from one bushel, it’s collected in a large pot or bowl.

To each bushel of peppers we add about one heaping cup of salt and stir it in. Pretty much right away, the peppers start to “boil” or ferment on their own. We cover and allow that process to take place over the next 24-72 hours. How long depends entirely on the peppers. When they stop boiling is when you are ready to move on to the next stage.

You can see some of the “boiling” here with these bubbles, it’s something to see, how it actively boils, bubbles just keep rising to the surface.

This is preservative powder… you can find it at any Portuguese store this time of year, or any place that sells a good variety of canning supplies.

Pour in the preservative powder.

I know this post would be a lot prettier if I went out and bought some beautiful canning jars. But, the reality is most Portuguese people will use what they have on hand to jar their peppers. I’ve used recycled peanut butter jars, tomato sauce jars and a variety of different recycled containers. What I did this year, because I like to have my pepper available to me in smaller containers, is I stopped by the dollar store and picked up three containers. I then washed with scalding hot water and dried.

After 24 hours, this is what the peppers will look like… a lot of the preservative pops up on top. You will need to mix it in again before adding into jars. note: you might also see this when you ope the jars for use, just mix it back in.

Notice how I am leaving some room at the top of the jar, that is to allow for additional gas formed by further fermentation.

Pour more salt on top of each batch.

Just let the salt settle on top. At this point some people form a hermetic seal with olive oil. We don’t do that.

You now place the lid on loosely, wait an additional 3 days before you tighten the lid in case the peppers continue to ferment. You don’t want to have an explosion on your hands… that being said, after the three days, don’t take the lid off, you want to trap that fermentation gas in there, that helps to remove the oxygen further aiding in the preservation process.

When you open a large jar of pepper, you will need to keep it in the fridge as it will no longer last outside of the fridge, some people choose to divide up into smaller jars at that point in order to better fit their refrigerator.

For the past several years I have shared recipes, cooking tips, cultural adventures, the publishing of my cook book and opening of StacyCakes Tea Shoppe and Cakery in Westport MA with all of you. Now, I have come up with a couple of fun new projects that I am so excited to share. Some of you may have seen some new video blog posts I have posted recently…  I have officially launched my new YouTube Channel! Recipes will be coming out sporatically as we get through the filming and editing process around all my other ventures, but rest assured, they are coming… be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any. The next one is Chouriço and Peppers! So be on the lookout!

Also, last but certainly not least, I am excited to announce my first Culinary Tour of Portugal!!! This tour of St. Michael, Azores (where my family originates) will be packed with so many different culinary experiences from rolling up your sleeves and cooking right beside me to seeing food made out in the open at a traditional Portuguese feast to a walking tour of the city where we will sample small bites of food called petiscos and wine to go right along with it! Read more about my new adventures in this article.  Hope you can join the fun whether following along with the vlog or getting those bags packed and passport ready! 

Interested in Joining the Tour?

Check out today’s Fall River Herald News for some great info about my new book and a couple of the recipes you’ll find when it’s released on June 16th, like Shrimp Mozambique and my White Peach Sangria!

To read the entire copy written by the wonderful Linda Murphy, long time reporter for the Herald, click here.

The book is available at Barnes&Noble, Target, Indigo Book Sellers, BAM and Amazon.

Twice a year at Easter and Thanksgiving I pay homage to my grandparents by making these delectable Stuffed Eggs. It’s not often that a recipe comes along that can elevate an already perfect recipe into a truly phenomenal one that you savor. But, this one fits the bill.

Growing up with amazing food at the holiday table is a privilege some may take for granted, but I knew I wanted to preserve this special dish forever. So, when I had the chance some 20 years ago to learn from my Vavó, I did. And I got more than I bargained for. My grandfather decided, as he often did, that he would need to impart his knowledge on the subject. So, there I was in my early 20’s crammed into my grandparents tiny galley kitchen learning step by step how to make one of my all time favorite holiday treats. They taught me how to easily shell a hard boiled egg, how to add the yolks to our family stuffing recipe and then how to stuff and fry up the eggs.

My grandparents passed away within a month from each other the year I was married in 2007. And so, the task of placing this cherished dish on the holiday table fell to me. Today, I will take you through that lesson step by step.

This is my basic Thanksgiving Stuffing cut in half.

To perfectly boil eggs: Place eggs in pot, cover with COLD water, bring to a boil. As soon as water comes to a full boil, cover pot and turn off heat. Keep covered for 15 minutes and drain.

To easily peel the eggs my grandfather showed me how to roll the egg gently cracking the shell and then letting it sit in cold water for a bit to allow water time to get under the thin membrane between the egg and the shell.

Cut the eggs lengthwise, like so.

Add egg yolks to the prepared stuffing. Set aside the egg whites.

Using a fork finely mash the yolks.

Using the same fork, incorporate the mashed yolks into the stuffing.

Yolks should be evenly distributed throughout the stuffing.

Using a heaping tablespoon, scoop stuffing.

Grab a white that was set aside.

Pile up the stuffing into the cut side of the egg.

With wet hands, mold the stuffing into the shape of an egg.

After filling each egg, set aside on a tray. You can continue to the next step if you are in a hurry. But, my best advice is to place this tray of these bad boys uncovered into the fridge for at least a half hour and up to 6 hours.

When you are ready to fry, add some eggs and water to a bowl and beat well with a fork. This creates an egg wash.

Place your stuffed egg into the egg wash.

Cover the egg completely in egg wash and let excess drip off.

Place a large high edged skillet over medium heat with vegetable oil. This is not the time to use olive oil. Fry eggs in skillet in batches being sure not to over crowd. Turn every couple of minutes to ensure a deep browning all the way around your eggs.

Drain on paper towels.

Once drained, pile up on a tray and serve either hot or at room temperature.

Stuffed Eggs Recipe:

• 1/2 recipe Thanksgiving Stuffing, uncooked
• 1 dozen eggs, hard boiled
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil, divided

Instructions:

1. Cut hard boiled eggs length wise and add yolks to prepared uncooked stuffing and set whites aside.
2. Mash egg yolks and incorporate with the uncooked stuffing evenly distributing the yolks throughout the stuffing.
3. Using a heaping tablespoon add stuffing to each egg white. Using wet hands, mold stuffing onto the egg white and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place tray of eggs in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 6 hours.
4. In a small bowl beat em3 raw eggs and water together.
5. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat.
6. Add each prepared egg to egg wash and allow excess to drip off. Add each egg to the heated oil gently in two batches being sure not to crowd. Also be aware of splattering oil and take care not to get splattered using an oven mit.
7. Turn eggs every couple of minutes being sure to allow good browning on all sides of egg. When egg is completely browned all the way around (about 10 minutes), remove to drain on paper towels.
8. Add more vegetable oil to skillet and repeat until done.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!