Portuguese Red Pepper Paste
Level: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: About 1 cup
This is a Portuguese pantry staple… this constitutes the major flavors in Portuguese cooking. Use as a marinate or rub for beef, chicken, pork, seafood, veggies, dressing, stews, & soups anything that needs a little Portuguese umami burst. We used in our Portuguese Pork w/ Clams recipe
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika
1/4 cup dry red wine
8 to 10 garlic cloves
2 crumbled Turkish bay leaves
3 tablespoons store-bought or homemade tomato paste or 1 tablespoon double-concentrate tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
7 sprigs cilantro
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (16 g)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Few dashes Piri-Piri sauce, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, combine the sweet paprika, sweet smoked paprika, wine, garlic, bay leaves, tomato paste, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper, and piri-piri sauce.
Pulse until the garlic and herbs are minced, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
With the motor still running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and continue whirring until the mixture comes together in a slick, homogeneous paste, 1 to 2 minutes.
Use the mixture immediately or spoon it into a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to a month.
CLASSIC RED BELL PEPPER PASTE VARIATION
This classico approach to red bell pepper paste relies on salt-cured bell peppers for oomph. It’s a much saltier version of the paste than the recipe above, so use it with a judicious hand. Wash, stem, and seed 3 red bell peppers. Slice them into 1-inch-wide strips. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour in about an inch of kosher salt. Press some of the strips into the salt and cover with another inch of salt. Continue layering until all the strips are covered. Top with a heavy pan. Place the colander in a large bowl and set aside at cool room temperature or 5 days. On the 6th day, fish out the bell pepper strips and brush off the salt but do not rinse. Purée in a food processor, transfer to a clean glass jar, and refrigerate until you need your next fix.
