Leva-me aos fados com sopa lentilhas e toucinho

Hoje esta o Feriado Nacional Restauração de Independência.Cozido a sopa crema bem-estar de lentilhas,legumes e toucinho.Eu sou acompanhado de voz da fadista Ana Moura. Que delicia.Um beijinho a todas e votos de bom feriado.

 Sopa crema de lentilhas,legumes e toucinho

( cream of lentil soup with vegetables and bacon)

serves 4-6

175g (6oz) lentilhas castanhos

85g (3oz) aipo cortado

70g (2.5oz) cenouras cortado

125g(4.5oz) cebola cortado

75g(3oz) Toucinho

140g(5oz) tomatoes, sem pelo,sementes,cortado

2 dentes de alho

1 litro caldo de frango

50ml(2fl oz) nata para batar

10ml (2 c de.chá ) cumino em po

45ml( 3  c de.chá ) azeite

(Se faz favor perdoar o método original em Ingles)

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the lentils and cook for 20 minutes until just soft. Strain and refresh under running cold water.

Heat a large saucepan until hot then add 30 ml( 2 tablespoons) olive oil, onion and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes until just softened. Add the vegetables and bacon then cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes. add the cooked lentils and chicken stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables and lentils are tender. Place in a food processor and purée.

Return to the saucepan, add the cream, remaining olive oil and cumin and heat through. Season with Castro Marim Flor de sal and black pepper. Serve with croutons.

The cakes that never came

The Maias  regarded as the most important work of the late 19th-century Portuguese writer Jose Maria Eça de Queirós is full of culinary leitmotifs.Early in the book Two friends make an excursion from Lisbon to Sintra;Carlos in the belief that he will find the woman that he has seen twice but never met and with whom he has fallen passionately in love and Cruges his friend, who has been charged by his mother not to return without bringing back a unique speciality of Sintra- Queijadas.

 ....`Don´t forget the cheese pastries´

These delicacies are tartlets filled with a mixture of egg, sugar, cinnamon and Requeijao ( a fresh curd cheese similar to Ricotta) - Two men on a mission.

....`I mustn´t forget the cheese pastries....´

and again ....

`And I´ve still got to buy those cheese pastries`, muttered Cruges
Exactly cried Carlos.There are still the cheese pastries to buy;there´s no time to lose! We´d better go!´

They return at the end of the day,one having failed to encounter his true love and the other having forgotten to buy the cakes.
Both Woman and cakes are delectable, sought after consumables, and as we learn later, both can be bought.These cakes, once associated with the woman being pursued, recur later in the novel either as a gift that has been forgotten or as a gift that comes to nothing.When another best friend first meets the aforementioned woman at Carlos´house, he coincidentally brings with him a packet of queijadas.
...`the brown paper parcel, only loosely tied together,came undone,and afresh supply of special Sintra cheese pastries tumbled out onto the floral rug and promptly crumbled into nothing....
The seemingly unique relationship between woman and suitor was as fragile as the pastries and was soon to crumble into nothing as well.

Queijadas de Sintra

DOUGH
10oz (280g) flour
1.5 tablespoons butter
salt

FILLING
12oz(350g) fresh Requeijao ( substitute ricotta)
2oz(60g) grated hard cheese,Cheddar type
7oz(200g) caster sugar
5tablespoons flour
3egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
!/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
The cases in which the cheese filling is cooked are tin and crunchy,rather like very thin water biscuits. The dough is generally prepared well in advance, preferably the previous day. Put the flour in a bowl, make a well in the centre, add the softened butter and a little salt.Mix with the tips of the fingers and add tepid water very gradually while kneading thoroughly. The dough must be elastic and smooth but rather on the dry side, and should not stick to the bowl.Cover with a dry cloth then with a damp one. set aside to rest until the following day, or at least for a few hours.
Meanwhile prepare the filling.Sieve the fresh cheese, and mix well with the grated cheese, until a smooth paste is obtained.Add the sugar an then all the other ingredients, little by little, beating between additions.
roll out the dough really fine( the thickness of 3 sheets of paper, put together) on a floured board.Cut out small rounds,3inches(7.5cm in diameter, and line buttered patty tins with them, cutting 4 snippets to adjust the dough into the tins. Fill with the cheese mixture and bake in ahot oven210ºc /425ºF /Gas 79 for about 15 minutes or until brown.
When cold, join the tartlets in pairs, placing a small piece of greaseproof paper between them. Keep in tins to prevent drying.
Makes 24 to 30 queijadas.

Menu Crise

Menu Crise as promoted at Pastelaria-Padaria São Roque,Lisbon

Casa Rosada "checked in" to Lisbon for three days.We arrived with small overnight bags, capsule wardrobe enclosed therein.Our mission - a bit of relaxez -vous and, as always, find good food and "happy" meals at value prices.Others had come from other parts of Portugal prepared to do battle, armed with placards and banners.Lisbon on Thursday played host to the Greve Geral.Portugal´s leader Pedro Passos Coelho had told his nation to brace for further austerity.The nation´s workforce was not happy.15,000 Portuguese unions were supposed to have been represented in a mass demonstration on the streets of Lisbon.For most workers, not being able to get to work gave an excuse for a day off at home. For those who knew better, it was all hands on deck to serve us estrangeiros with coffees, cakes  and sandwiches, Pastelaria-Padaria São Roque did just that.

Pastelaria-Padaria São Roque

Located at the top of the Bairro Alto in Principe Real, this turn of the century "cathedral of bread" as proclaimed by azulejos ( decorative tiles) behind the counter, is essentially one of Lisbon's excellent bakeries, although ample seating is provided for customers who prefer to stay longer.The decoration alone makes this worth a sit down stop.Marble pillars reach up to a magnificent domed ceiling. Tiles intricately painted with scenes from nature flood the room with colour. Staff understand little English and territorial locals are somewhat put out by curious tourists.To discover this is to discover a real slice of local life.
 Having been slightly disappointed (main criticism tables too cramped)  by the very authentic Portuguese fare of a neighbourhood Bairro Alto restaurant, Alta Bota, we opted on our second night for something more spacious. A slice of Little Italy New York dished up with Portuguese precision by a charming and attentive brigade of waiting staff.
Not apparently known to taxi drivers, this up-market, but very reasonably priced Italian restaurant serves traditional Italian piatti and pasta dishes with a Portuguese essence by a Napolitan chef who formerly owned a restaurant in New York, but moved to Lisbon a few years ago.It is one of the most authentic Italian restaurants in the city - the mozzarella apparently is even shipped directly from Italy. (only criticism: chef Guerreiris predominant love of spinach).After dinner we headed back down the Avenida to call in for a nightcap at  Enoteca Chaffariz do vinho

Enoteca Chafariz do Vinho

This "watering hole" is located just up the street from Praça da Alegria and right down the steps from Principe Real. What makes Enoteca Chafariz do Vinho attractive is its unique location within an 18th century stone reservoir. This Mãe de Agua (Mother of Water), which also happens to be the name of the street it’s situated in, connects apparently with the rest of a 36 mile aqueduct used during water shortages to bring clean water into the city up until the 20th century. The reservoir was refurbished and converted into the enoteca it has become today. Beginning at the very bottom of the cistern and traveling up a towering 3 stories, tables fill every nook and cranny of this medieval, yet romantic,quirky space. At night, the reservoir fills up with visitors keen to have a tipple. With an amazingly comprehensive wine list including 14 wines by the glass, and a very reasonably priced tasting menu you´ll love this if you can find it.Impossible to park but the kitchen stays open till 1a.m.
Back to reality on the sunny Iberian peninsula there has been a feeling that as bad as things are, they're not yet as awful as they will become.Earlier in November the Algarve was victim to some heavy rains and  a tornado that literally took with it the roof of the check in hall of Faro airport. Maybe the "heavenly powers" (Sarkhozy, Merkel etc) were trying to tell us that something is rotten in the state of Southern Europe and it is  is in the grip of the worst economic crisis since the second world war. Is the fish in Portugal rotting from the head down—all is not well at the top of the political hierarchy for sure. If Shakespeare was alive today he might have written something like this....

Cavaco Silva:

She waxes desperate with imagination. "She is well and truly frit".

Coelho:
Let's follow. 'Tis not fit thus to obey her.
The leader of the unemotional volk "is having an uncharacteristic fit of the vapours."

Cavaco Silva:

Have after. To what issue will this come?

Coelho:

"There are limits to cutting: you can't just cut blindly,"

Something is rotten in the state of Merkel. 

Cavaco Silva:

Heaven will direct it

Ironically however Casa Rosada was a benefiary of the current situation, giving the Algarve its busiest summer on record.The reason - the holidaymaking population of the Iberian peninsula stayed home and French holidaymakers alike took to their cars instead of planes. There was no room at the inn for anyone, restaurant seats were like gold dust, some units in large shopping malls may have looked like ghost trains but others were open and doing business.

Life must continue. Recession,what recession.There maybe no Christmas street lights but Portugal has survived recessions before and those who are old enough to remember it are the stalwart ones who will survive methinks.It is a sanguine view a "saudade" perhaps. A longing for the past that is so far in the future it may never happen.Lets hope Alls well will End well.

 

"I really nailed it"

Prego roll with salted sweet potato chips and chilli salt, The perfect TV dinner

Some things can never change, like the pleasure of eating a good steak sandwich.There will always be something to beef about.Can it be Improved yes it can. How? - Innovation, improvement, interpretation, adding new flavours and, of course, using only the best quality ingredients, and having a meat mallet to hand, apparently. Small beef or pork steaks in a roll (respectively pregos or bifanas) are popular Portuguese snacks. When menu crise dictates and when time and economy take their toll, a prego or bifana, eaten at a snack bar counter, may constitute the lunch of a white collar worker. When I´m in town, if I can just smell a whiff of a prego in the air I´m off down every back street and alley to find it- that´s how fanatical I am in my search for the best prego in Portugal.

These Portuguese steaks flavoured with onions and red wine are called garlic "nailed" steaks because a small meat mallet is typically used to "nail" the garlic slices into the steak. If you like drama, go for it, but I think its more preferable and less of a faff to just push the garlic in with your finger - it doesn't really stay in too well anyway. Regardless, this is an awesome way to enjoy your next steak sandwich. They're quick, satisfying and totally delicious.

Prego No Pao

2 x 120g rump or sirloin steaks (the ones sliced about 1/4  inch/ 5mm thick) 

30 g /10oz butter 

2 -3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (or more) 

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced 

1/2 cup red wine 

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

2 crusty Portuguese bread rolls 
Piri Piri sauce to serve (optional) 

Lay out steaks on a work surface and to be traditional,"nail" the garlic slices into the steak on both sides (about a clove per steak, more if you like). If this isn't your style, just push the garlic slices in with your finger. 
In about 1/2 the butter, fry each steak for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once.  
Remove to a dish and reserve.Add a dash of Flor de sal to the meat while it is resting
Add the rest of the butter and the sliced onion.  
Saute until onion is golden, then transfer to another pan and continue coking over a very low heat. Pour the red wine into the skillet used to cook the steaks and onions; scrape up the browned bits and simmer over medium-high heat until liquid is reduced by about half and tastes good.Dip the cut sides of each bread roll in to soak up some of the juices from the sauce.Return the steaks   to this skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook another minute on both sides of steaks, until warmed through. Serve steaks and onions on warmed crusty sandwich rolls.

Sweet potato chips and chilli salt
serves 6-8
500g(1lb) sweet potato peeled
vegetable oil for deep frying
1/2 teaspoon Flor de sal
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
Use a vegetable peeler to peel the sweet potato into long, thin strips.Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the sweet potato in batches for 1 minute until golden.Drain on absorbent paper.Combine the salt and chilli powder.Toss with the sweet potato chips and serve immediately.

or if you prefer......

Gourmet prego. O cozinheiro´s take

Imagine a well-seasoned and tender steak, sandwiched between thin strips of parmesan, rocket and crusty bread. Fancy?

What scone is scone

Remember the good old days of the old fashioned "tea room" ? These national institutions still thrive and three classic establishments; Confeitaria Nacional in Lisbon, Angelina´s on Rue de Rivoli in Paris and ooh, Betty´s in Harrogate, England come to mind. Scones, cream teas, nibbly type cakes, tartines and custard tarts have all become national treasures in these turn of the century salons.With the revived and rising interest in home baking, it´s time for a tea room twist;  yesterday´s patisserie tidbits are now becoming today´s new taste sensations. Bring a bit of phoney super-sconey Bollywood to your party this Christmas. Move aside slowness, and with a little heroics and a bit of eena meen deeka you will be the hostess with the mostess.Here´s the good news. Don´t leave everything to the last minute. Get ahead of the entertaining game and stay on top  by making something now that can be frozen for up to one month, de-frosted and then re-heated in 5 minutes.

Indian scones with chilli coriander jam (V) 
You can use any chutney or other preserves in these scones. The choice is yours.
I chose Chilli coriander jam and Green tomato relish.
can be frozen for up to 1 month

Makes 20, ready in 35 minutes

250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon garam masala
125g butter
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 green chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
20g fresh coriander
1 large egg beaten
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons  black mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves ( you can used dried such as Barts
Home made chutney of your choice
Pre-heat the oven to 200C / fan180C/Gas 6
Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and garam masala into a large bowl.
add the butter and rub in until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the ginger, chillies,coriander, egg and buttermilk and mix well to form a soft dough. Roll out on a floured service to about 2cm thick. use a3.5cm plain round cutter to cut out 20 scones, re-rolling the trimmings as you go.Put on the baking sheets.
Brush each scone with milk, then top half with mustard seeds and the rest with 1 curry leaf. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until risen and golden. Set aside to cool slightly. halve each scone and sandwich together with the chutney. Serve warm or cold.

Utterly butterly

Utterly irresistable,so perfect, but thinks better add salt.

I can not believe I have just made butter. Utterly perfect in every way. I can not believe its butter.Sometimes you even surprise yourself. There is a first time for everything, and today it was the time for me to lose my virginity to buttermilk. I had a pile of recipes in front of me and buttermilk was required before I could proceed.Scones are calling. Where do I find buttermilk? In the Algarve- no chance mate.I need help. Call buttermilk helpline? Tinternet.About.com had the answer...."Once you see how easy it is to make buttermilk, you'll want to make your own everytime. Here's how:"

A question was asked "Do you have a jar of heavy cream in your fridge"

The answer was yes: We are back  in business.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients: a jar of cream

1. Fill a jar halfway with heavy cream. 

Then, screw the lid on firmly (a canning jar works well for this purpose).OK

2. Start shaking the jar back and forth. After several minutes, the cream will thicken and turn into whipped cream.Within only a few minutes I had whipped cream. OK

I now have no faith in the next step. It is just not going to happen. How can you cause agitation to a jar of solid whipped cream. I persevere.....

Keep shaking until the whipped cream is replaced with a yellow glob (butter) and a separate liquid (buttermilk).

I continue shaking but nothing is happening then suddenly my face lights up. Something is rattling in the jar. EUREKA!! I have a lump of butter and a whole lotta liquid which is the buttermilk I set out to acquire

3. Pour the buttermilk out of the jar, and use it in any recipe that calls for buttermilk.

To Use the Butter: Knead it under cold water for a couple minutes to remove any remaining buttermilk (it will spoil very quickly, if you don't). Then, salt (if desired), and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.

The cats feet had been buttered, The buttered cat paradox is a paradox based on the tongue in cheek combination of two adages.

Cats always land on their feet

Buttered toast always lands buttered side down

The paradox arises when one considers what would happen if one attached a piece of buttered toast (butter side up) to the back of a cat, then dropped the cat from a large height.

Whatever, I have landed on my two feet having made butter. Oh Joy!!!

Enjoying the fruits of our labour

Enjoying the benefits in winter of what you have harvested in the summer is immense. Celebrate the honest and earthy goodness of flavours from the garden by using them in both new and classic ways.You may remember back in September I sundried my tomatoes on the dashboard of the car, well Its only a short ride from sunning on a vine in the summer to the stain down the front of a shirt in the winter.

Pesto can be made in either a blender or food processor;a food processor usually does a better job though. Note: when using a blender to prepare pesto, it may be necessary to add the oil at the same time as the herbs.
This home made sun-dried tomato pesto is pure condensed summer in a jar, and one of the best things I've ever tasted.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto or Spread
makes about 6 cups

2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
(drain oil before measuring if there is a lot)
2 cups coarsely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup home made tomato sauce 
2 tablespoons of pine nuts or toasted pistachios or a combination of both
6 large cloves garlic
sea salt to taste, about 2 tsp.
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Put garlic cloves into the food processor and process until finely chopped. (You could use the food processor to chop the basil and parsley if you wanted too, but I just chopped it with a chef's knife.)
Add sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, olive oil, basil, parsley, tomato sauce, and process until mixture is well combined. I kept mine a tiny bit chunky. Season with salt and pepper, buzz for a few seconds to combine again.

(If you don't have the fresh tomatoes to make fresh tomato sauce, use 2 cans diced tomatoes, puree in food processor with some fresh torn basil leaves, then cook down to make 1 cup sauce. Cool before using in this recipe. You could also use canned tomato sauce, but the flavor would not be as fresh.)

This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a month. Chance would be a fine thing, it will never last that long!

Sundried tomato pesto pairings
A container of home made pesto in the refrigerator can be the inspiration for any number of interesting dishes.

Slather it on sandwiches
Toss it in with spaghetti
Stir it into risotto or soup
Use it as a pizza base
Blend it into a dressing
This pesto can become addictive and is well worth
keeping on hand as a store cupboard staple.
A fun way to turn a simple supper into a special occasion.

Pick a peck of prickly pears

Prickly pear mojito, a truly autumnal cocktail

"Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman." 

I have been foraging again, and look at the bounty I have returned with. Those prickly spines put most of us off, but when foraging, "A prick in the hand is worth two in the bush." I managed to get through four good years before summoning up the courage to tackle the fruits of the prickly pear. If done with care,not as I did, harvesting and processing prickly pear fruit will result in very little pain. Carelessness, as I discovered to my detriment will result in a whole lot of time spent picking painful spines and glochids as they are called out of your fingers. Consider this a Zen exercise in patience and attentiveness, neither virtues I have ever possessed.Once you have your prickly pear juice, you have to figure out what you are going to do with it. You can make jelly, always a popular and tasty gift, and something Casa Rosada could well introduce to its breakfast table or you can make syrup for dressings and drink recipes. Yes, there is even a recipe for prickly pear mojito.(pictured above)

Makes 1 mojito. 

1 1/2 tablespoons prickly pear syrup
6 to 8 mint leaves
juice of 1 lime (about 2 ounces)
2 ounces rum
1 to 1/2 cups cubed or crushed ice
2 ounces club soda 

In a tall glass, place the mint leaves, lime juice and the cactus syrup. Muddle the leaves for 20 seconds to release the mint oils using either a muddleror a wooden spoon.
Add the rum, and stir.Fill the glass until 3/4 full with ice.
Top off with the club soda
 

Prickly pear syrup recipe

6 cups strained prickly pear juice
6 cups white sugar
4 tbsp. lemon juice

Wash and chop prickly pear.  Cover chopped fruit with water about 2 inches above level of fruits in pan.  Cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.  Use cheesecloth and a colander to strain liquid from cooked prickly pear fruit.  This will make the strained juice thinner to increase production of the syrup without any decline in flavor.

Combine strained prickly pear juice and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until solution is boiling.  Once boiling add sugar and stir constantly.  Keep at a rolling boil until all of the sugar is dissolved. Then remove pan from heat.  If canning syrup, ladle into sterilized jars.  If using syrup immediately, cool syrup and store covered in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly Recipe

4 cups strained prickly pear juice
6 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package pectin*

Wash and chop prickly pear.  Cover chopped fruit with water even with level of tunas in pan.  Cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.  Use cheesecloth and a colander to strain liquid from cooked prickly pear fruit. 

Combine strained prickly pear juice and lemon juice and cook over medium heat until solution is boiling.  Once boiling add sugar and pectin* and stir constantly.  Continue to keep mixture at a rolling boil for ten minutes, then remove pan from heat.  If canning jelly, ladle into sterilized jars.Prickly pear jelly may take up to two weeks to gel inside the jars.  If using for fresh jelly, cool jelly and store covered in the refrigerator for up to one month.

*I used a natural pectin made from the rind of lemon and orange halves .You need to remove the whole fruit from the jam mix and then strain the juice back into the jam through a muslin bag.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire....

 É dia de São Martinho;
comem-se castanhas, prova-se o vinho.
 

It is St. Martin's Day,
we'll eat chestnuts, we'll taste the wine.

 

A typical Portuguese saying related to Saint Martin's Day

In Portugal,today the 11th November we celebrated St. Martin's Day.It is commonly associated with the celebration of the maturation of the year's wine, being traditionally the first day when the new wine can be tasted. It is celebrated, traditionally around a bonfire, eating the magusto, chestnuts  roasted under the embers of the bonfire (sometimes dry figs and walnuts), and drinking a local light alcoholic beverage called água-pé (literally "foot water", made by adding water to the pomace  left after the juice is pressed out of the grapes for wine - traditionally by stomping on them in vats with bare feet, and letting it ferment for several days), or the stronger jeropiga (a sweet liquor obtained in a very similar fashion, with aguardente  added to the water). Água-pé, though no longer available for sale in supermarkets and similar outlets (it is officially banned for sale in Portugal), is still generally available in small local shops from domestic production.

Marmitako- Out of the pot onto the plate

Winter is the time for comfort, for
good food and warmth, for the touch
of a friendly hand and for a talk beside
the fire:  it is the time for home.

Edith Sitwell

The temperature drops and up goes our appetite for foods that come in huge steaming pots.Goodbye salads and cold dishes, Hello comfort food ! It is a time to gather friends around a table overflowing with dishes steaming hot from the stove top or oven. When the days get shorter and the going gets tough, the tough need to tuck in. I have been checking out the provenance behind all these piping hot dishes. So Spanish, so Portuguese. Alright lets not argue, recipes vary from place to place but  have similarities both in their cooking method and choice of ingredients. In the Iberian peninsula it is just like looking over a neighbours fence and seeing something identical on the other side. Spain and Portugal are neighbours.To an outsider, not so close sometimes but both nations´ fishermen put out to sea to catch our fish and their survival on board translates into our mainland sustenance.
Marmita translates as 'pot' or 'casserole' in Basque, while the suffix ko is the genitive case, so that marmitako literally means 'from the pot'. Of course, just about everything in Basque cooking comes 'from the pot', but only this venerable dish goes by that name. Originally it was cooked on board fishing boats - and still is - but for decades now it has appeared on restaurant menus in the Basque Country, sometimes even prepared with salmon. The stew is soupy but thick, specially when the potatoes are 'cracked open' to yield more starch. You can prepare a marmitako up to the point at which the tuna, or for that matter any other robust fish is added,( I cooked it with hake on the bone) and then reheat the stew up to a day later and add the fish.

Marmitako, the traditional version 

2 dried choricero or ancho chiles 
1 pound fresh tuna fillet 
Coarse Flor de sal 
4 russet potatoes, about 2 pounds total weight 
1/3 cup olive oil 
1 brown onion, finely chopped 
1 clove garlic , minced 
1/2 green pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into narrow strips 
1Tablespoon sweet pimentón  or paprika

In a heatproof bowl, combine the dried chilis with boiling water to cover and let stand for 30 minutes, or until soft. Drain the chilis, slit them open, and scrape off the flesh with the edge of a knife, discarding the seeds, skins, and stems, Set the flesh aside.
Cut the tuna into small pieces. Sprinkle the pieces with coarse salt and set aside.
Peel the potatoes. To 'crack' the potatoes into chestnut-sized pieces, make a small cut in each potato and then break it open the rest of the way. Set the potato pieces aside.
In a Marmita, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper, and the flesh from the chilis, stir well, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the onion and bell pepper have begun to soften and all the ingredients are well blended.
Add the potatoes and pimentón and mix well. Season with a little coarse salt and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, decrease the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Add the tuna pieces to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the tuna is opaque. Remove from the heat and let stand for 30 minutes before serving. If the soup is very clear because the potatoes didn't release enough starch, mash a piece or two against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon and shake the pot a little.
Reheat gently to serving temperature (if your pot retains heat well, the stew may still be piping hot and you won't need to reheat it). Ladle into warmed bowls and serve at once.

Serve with a crisp Portuguese white wine.