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Moros Pretos

3 lb beef sausages
1 whole onion
1 whole green peper
3 gherkins, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata black olives
3 tablespoons capers
1 box pitted prunes
1/2 cup prune juice
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
4 bulbs garlic
1/4 cilantro
1/4 cup fresh sage
1/2 cup fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 bottle cooking red wine
salt
pepper

Cut the sausages in 1.5 inch pieces. Place them in a plastic bowl
add the cloves and cover with red wine overnight.  

Soak the prunes in a plastic bowl in warm water for 20 minutes.
Dice the onion, gherkins, green pepper, and garlic.  Place them in  
a frying pan and saute them using little oil over medium heat until
brown.  Add the sweet paprika and mix well.  Add the can of crushed
tomatoes, and salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes over high
heat.
 
Remove the whole cloves from soaking bowl. Place the sausage in a 
frying pan and saute them until they are partially cook. Keep the
wine Remove the sausages and place them in the pan  where the sauce
is cooking. Add the prunes, the prune juice, the cilantro, the
sage, the tarragon leaves, the ground cloves, the olives, the 
capers, the sage and the caraway seeds. Cook covered for 45 minutes
at medium heat. If the sauce gets dry keep adding wine.  Serve with
Couscous or Saffron rice.

Moros Pretos is by far the oldest recipe on the maternal side of
my family. Three generations of Da Silvas have cooked this dish
for Shabat. Originating in the Azores, my grandmother brought it
with her to Venezuela. Although the recipe has a strong Portuguese
Influence, its ingredients are typically Sephardic. Very rich in
flavour, this dish should be accompanied by red wine and Safron
rice.

Printable version: moros-pretos.txt.