RECIPE OF THE MONTH

PORTUGUESE BOLA DE BELIM

As one of our favourite Portuguese traditions is a Bola de Berlim on the beach, we thought why not try it for ourselves!

Ingredients

2 x 7g sachets dried yeast 75g caster sugar, plus extra, to coat 125ml lukewarm milk 3 eggs, lightly beaten 75g unsalted butter, melted, cooled 500g plain flour vegetable oil, to deep-fry

For the crème pâtissière:

50g plain flour 75g caster sugar 1 egg 4 egg yolks 375 ml milk Yellow food colouring (optional)

Method:

(Standing time: 1 hr 40 minutes)

For the crème pâtissière Using an electric mixer, beat flour, sugar, egg and egg yolks until thick and pale. Meanwhile, place milk in a pan and bring to the boil. Working quickly, gradually whisk milk into flour mixture until well combined. Transfer to a clean saucepan, place over low–medium heat and whisk constantly for 5 minutes or until thick, taking care it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add a few drops of colouring, if using, and stir until combined. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool. Makes 375 ml. Place yeast, sugar, milk and 60 ml lukewarm water in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Add eggs and butter, and stir until combined.

Place flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour yeast mixture into well and mix until combined. Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface for 5 minutes or until smooth, elastic and very soft. (Alternatively, use an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.) Lightly dust with flour, then transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a draught-free place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.

Line 2 trays with baking paper, then dust with flour. Punch down dough, knead gently and divide into 12 balls. Place on trays and leave to rise without touching. Dust with flour and cover with greased plastic wrap, then a tea towel. Set aside for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size. Fill a deep-fryer or large saucepan one-third full with oil and heat over medium heat to 170°C. Working in batches, gently drop balls into oil and deep-fry, turning halfway, for 4 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal incision in each doughnut, taking care not to cut all the way through. Toss doughnuts in extra sugar to coat, then spoon 2 and a half tbsp crème pâtissière into each one. Serve doughnuts immediately.

WHEN OUR TIME COMES...

They say that ‘nothing is certain except death and taxes’. We have no choice but to talk about the tax we pay, but discussing the matter of death is often ignored or put off. We share our experience of the funeral process here in Portugal, with the hope of helping someone in their time of need.

Towards the end of 2019, we were unfortunate enough to have had two deaths in our Family. This was our first time dealing with this in Portugal, and we had two very different experiences using two different Funeral agencies. The first agency was suggested to us by the local GNR and were not at all helpful. We felt quite lost throughout the process which was dealt with with little sympathy. It seemed like purely a business transaction. After learning from our first experience we decided on a different agency, Sublime Funeral services in Loulé.

We were greeted by Pedro who was instantly so much more helpful with finding out information about the deceased and what we needed to do. Pedro was with us at every step of the way helping us with every question we had and for those of you who have had to go through any bureaucratic process in the Algarve, you will know it isn’t at all easy, let alone whilst dealing with grief. Pedro clearly had past experience with foreign families which made the whole process a lot smoother and we didn’t feel so left in the dark. I would also like to point out that whilst funerals aren’t cheap, when it came to costs with the first Funeral director we were met with a large number and no compromises on it. We were unaware that we were free to choose our own director, the GNR called the funeral director that was available and we were given no information on what to do next.

Due to our experience, we know that there are others out there that would benefit from knowing some basic information about the process so we asked pedro to answer some questions.

What are the obligatory processes immediately after a person’s death?

After the death of a loved one, the family member should immediately contact a Funeral Agency, so that it can take care of all the funeral proceedings.

Can we choose which funeral director the deceased goes to?

Yes, in Portugal the Funeral Agency is decided by the deceased’s Family and by Law burial agencies must refrain from contacting family members of the deceased without their authorisation and any agent that does so can be punished by law.

Is there any paperwork I need to provide and where do I take it? Does the Funeral director help with this?

Normally, the information needed for a funeral is always the responsibility of the Funeral Agency, though some agencies are not as prepared as others to be able to support the family in terms of necessary bureaucracy, especially for foreign citizens since the agencies are often unaware of the legal procedures for the repatriation of the deceased to their country of origin.

The Police told us there is an investigation into the death, what is going to happen and what are we supposed to do?

The family must apply to the public ministry of the municipality where the death occurred for information about the process and await its conclusion, you will most likely feel the need to do try and help or find out as much information as you can, but the best thing you can do is let authorities proceed with their investigation and wait for its conclusion. When the investigation is over you will be informed of the conclusion and you will be free to continue funeral arrangements.

We are unsure of the cause of death, what is the process to request an autopsy and when will we get the results?

Once again, this type of situation should be the responsibility of the Funerary Agency. The family should speak to the Funeral Agency, so that the public prosecutor’s service is contacted and informed that the family is not sure about the cause of death and wants an autopsy to be performed. The results tend to take a few months and depend on how busy the hospitals are, when then are ready you will recieve a letter in the post letting you know that the report is availabe to collect from the public ministry.

The deceased was a contributing member of society, are there any discounts or benefits to help towards their funeral?

Yes, there are benefits for the closest family members (spouse and underage children) and also subsidies to support funeral expenses. They depend on the years of contribution of the deceased, the funeral home may help to collect information and documentation to obtain these same benefits, but it will not be able to charge services for them, as it is prohibited by law and incurs the crime of an illicit attorney.

Funerals seem to occur very soon after death here in Portugal, sometimes within a few days, however, as the deceased is from another country, how long can we wait to make sure all family and friends can make travel arrangements for the funeral?

The fact that funerals in Portugal are held between 48 and 72 hours after death is nothing more than a question of culture, although by law, the body must be cremated and buried in a coffin, within some deadlines which must not

exceed 72 hours after delivery of the body to the family. As for the waiting time, yes, it is possible to pass these deadlines, including making them 2 or 3 weeks later, but it depends on the conditions of each Funeral Agency, (having a conservation chamber is one of them).

The deceased was from another country and wished to be buried back there, what is the process for this?

The process depends on the country and its laws. For example, within the countries of the European Union, as there are no customs, it is always easier to handle the documentation as some countries do not require documentation signed and viewed by the local embassy or consulate. But also in these cases it will always depend on the undertaker, if he is responsible enough and has general knowledge on how to transfer deceased to different countries inside and outside the European Union.

What are the burial options in Portugal?

The options for Funerals in Portugal are; São, Grave Burial, Burial in a Family tomb or drawer and cremation. It is now possible to have cremations in the Algarve in the recently opened Crematorium of Albufeira.

If you have any other questions please contact Pedro at Sublime, they are very helpful and professional and it will make a very difficult process much easier for you.

W: www.funerariasublime.pt E: funerariasublime@gmail.com T: +351 927 797 623