Massa de Pimentão

Salting red peppers: making Massa de Pimentão. Photo by Luís Neves

There are few ingredients that are as ubiquitous and universal as “Massa de Pimentão”. The Spanish have “Pimenton”. They sure do, but it is not the same. What in Açores (the Azores) is known as Pimenta da Terra or Pimenta Moída is, in my opinion, and my cooking, very special indeed.

Massa de Pimentão is a paste made with 2 ingredients: red peppers and sea salt. In some versions, the peppers ferment. In some, the peppers are kept in coarse sea salt, then washed, then repeat (see picture above). In some versions, the skin comes out, in others, it stays in. Confused? me too.

The bottom line is that it is a red pepper paste with lots of salt, used for preserving.

It is used in refogados, assados, marinates and in chouriço and other enchidos.

As a cook I use it all the time in ragus, stews, roast pork… and it goes really well with tomato sauce for pasta! The possibilities are endless…

My version of tomato sauce:

Get a few really ripe tomatoes and peel them if you want. I don’t. Cut into small chunks;

Peel about 8 cloves of juicy garlic. Slice it thin like Paulie in Goodfellas;

A glug of good olive oil into a thick bottom pan and on medium heat melt the garlic. Just slightly caramelised, not burnt;

Add the tomatoes. Have a sip of wine and listen to your partner complaining about the day at work;

Add a couple of soup spoons of Massa de Pimentão and freshly ground black pepper. Let it slightly sizzle for a couple of minutes and add water. Simmer for, at least 30 minutes, up to an hour.

Done. Have it with some fusilli al dente, extra raw olive oil and freshly grated queijo da Ilha (tangy cheese from the Azores).

Join in with a robust yet roundish red wine. Something from Palmela will do nicely.

Suggested music: Keith Jarret, Viena concert