Cook Brazilian

Bar Food

s Cheese Crackers (Sequilho Rolls (Pao de Queijo) / 3 1 Caipiriahna / 2 Cheese at Croquette with linhos de Bacalhau) /5 Me (Bo rs tte Fri Cod 4 / ) de Parmesao Nut Pesto / 7 Bean Frit/ 6 Red Pepper with Brazil ce Sau to Pes per Pep a Red / wers / 10 Flatbread Vatapa Fritters / 9 Pineapple Ske ters (Acaraje) / 8 Yucca x/ 13 Chicken Fritters (Co a de Siri) / 12 Yucca Sticks 11 Crab Shells (Casquinh Warm Jerk Meat Salad s / 15 Pumpkin Flan with Egg il Qua 14 / a) inh Gal inha de s adas / 18 Rice Croquette / 6 Kibbe / 17 Fried Empan

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BAR FOOD

BAR FOOD

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Caipirinha

its oil. Transfer this mixture to a shaker, add

I am careful with the amount of cachaça used,

some ice and cachaça, shake it, and pour. So

especially for a first-time caipirinha-taster. You

what’s the big deal? Well, some recipes advise

can always add more, but if you make it too

against mashing the lime too hard, as the oil can

strong it’s harder to dilute. I like my caipirinha

taste bitter. That’s a very legitimate argument, but

on the lighter side, although it’s very common

with the guardian angel sugar there to protect it,

to use a bit stronger dose than suggested here.

the more you release those oils, the better. Plus,

Caipirinha is not the type of drink to serve out

remember that caipirinha calls for lime and not

of a pitcher, and you can’t prepare it in advance.

lemon. Lemon skin is much thicker and carries a

For the sake of great taste, each must be

heavier white layer, giving a stronger bitter taste.

prepared individually, shaken individually, and

And, we don’t have lemons in Brazil, only limes.

immediately poured into a wide sturdy glass.

makes 1 caipirinha 2 limes 1 tablespoon sugar 2 to 3 tablespoons cachaça (adjust amount to taste) ice cubes

1 2 Refreshing, cool, sweet, festive, and relaxing,

sugar cane. Caipirinha is a simple cocktail based

caipirinha is Brazil. And if caipirinha is Brazil,

on a mixture of mashed lime with sugar, ice,

then cachaça is our national shrine. In the

and cachaça. As elementary as it is, there are

United States, cachaça is also called Brazil-

a few variables that could make all the differ-

ian rum and the distillation process is quite

ence in your drink. The lime should be cut into

similar. Rum is distilled from molasses while

medium chunks. It is then mashed with sugar

cachaça is distilled from the fresh juices of

by a wooden muddler until the lime releases

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BAR FOOD

3

Trim the ends off the limes. Cut the limes into medium-size wedges.

Using a muddler, or the end of a wooden spoon, mash the lime with sugar, making sure to squeeze all the juices from the lime and to dissolve the sugar in the juice.

Transfer the lime mixture to a shaker. Add the cachaça and ice cubes. Shake well (about 8 to 10 times) and pour into a large, but not tall, sturdy glass.

Playing with Cachaça Use other citrus fruit to make caipirinhas, but keep in mind the white layer mentioned above; as long as you use a citrus with a thin skin—and that may vary from citrus to citrus—your caipirinha will taste great. Berries make a sweet and colorful drink as well. Strawberries? Call it Caipi-rubi.

Vodka? Caipiroska. The recipe below is also delicious.

Proceed as the caipirinha recipe at left, substituting the orange for the lime. Add the mint leaves to the shaker with the orange sugar mixture.

makes 1 caipirinha 1 orange 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons cachaçca 4 to 5 mint leaves ice cubes

BAR FOOD

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Brazilian Fish/Moqueca Stewde Peixe

Serves 4 1¼ pound [Chilean?] sea bass, cut into 2-inch chunks

4

1 scallion (white and green parts) chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 4 large cloves garlic, minced 5 tablespoons dende oil (see Glossary) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5

4 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro ½ cup freshly chopped green peppers ¹⁄ 3 cup freshly chopped yellow pepper 1½ cups fish stock 1 cup coconut milk

6

2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon lemon juice kosher salt and freshly ground pepper ¹⁄ 3 cup canned or jarred hearts of palm, drained and diced 2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced

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1

This fish stew couldn’t be more Brazilian, but

tilapia. (Be sure to buy Chilean sea bass from a

with the presence of wine and fish stock, it has

sustainable fishery as the species recently had

an international appeal that is hard to resist.

a close brush with extinction.) Moqueca is of-

Moqueca is originally from the state of Bahia,

ten served with farofa (see page XXX), but feel

and there are many versions: fish, shrimp, or

free to use white rice as a side dish as well.

crab are the most popular. Use this recipe as a

With just a little bit of coconut milk, this colorful

guideline and experiment with different types

fish stew is rich only in looks and spirit—one

of fish, such as Chilean sea bass, halibut, and

spoonful will reveal how unbelievably light it is.

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main courses

2

3

Prepare the marinade for the fish: in a bowl, mix together half of the scallion, half of the onion, half of the ginger, and half of the garlic.

Add 2 tablespoons of the dende oil, all of the olive oil, and half of the cilantro. Place the fish chunks in a zip-lock bag and add the marinade.

Rub it around the fish so it is well distributed.

Remove all the air from the plastic bag and seal it well. Place the fish in the refrigerator, making sure it is covered by the marinade, and let it rest for at least 3 hours.

Take the fish out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place 3 tablespoons of dende oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the remaining scallion, onion, and the green and yellow peppers, and cook until they are soft, about [how many] minutes.

Add the remaining ginger and garlic and mix well. Cook for another minute or until it’s hot.

Add the fish stock and let it come to a full boil.

Add the coconut milk and tomato paste, and let it come to a full boil, then lower the heat to simmer the sauce nice and gently.

In the meantime, spread the fish and marinade in a gratin dish. Pour the lemon juice on top and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake in the oven until almost done, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Carefully transfer each chunk of fish into the pan with the sauce. Pour in any remaining juices from the fish and marinade. Braise the fish in the sauce over low heat with the pan covered, until the fish is soft and tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Uncover the pan, add the hearts of palm and tomatoes, and let them get hot.

Taste the sauce then season it with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or farofa.

Hearts of palm: Hearts of palm, or palmito in Portuguese, are harvested from the inner core of certain palm trees such as jucara, açai, and pejibaye. they have a nutty, artichoke-like flavor and pair well with an endless variety of ingredients. they are easily found in US supermarkets in either cans or jars. In Brazil the most praised kind is the pupunha, from yet a fourth kind of palm tree called pupunheira, found in the Amazon. It is much larger and meatier then the ones we get in the United States. If you ever go to Brazil, make sure you try a fresh pupunha.

main courses

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Desserts

h Sour Dulce de Leche Cake wit ut Brigadeiro / 3 Molton on Coc 2 / o eir gad Bri Crème Caramel 1 Chocolate Custard Cake / 6 Brazilian ut on Coc 5 / lée Bru me o Crè Cream Sorbet / 4 Avocad fle / 9 Passion Fruit Can d Cake / 8 Guava Paste Sou on Alm le Sty e ues tug Ter(Pudim de Leite) / 7 Por che De Leche Sauce / 12 Fig Leche Sauce / 11 Hot Dul de ce Dul h wit e ffl Sou it Gelee / 14 Conoli / 10 Coffee Mousse with Passion Fru ce / 13 White Chocolate Sau he Lec de ce Dul h rine wit d Sauce / 16 Chocolate Moça)/ 15 Coconut Custar de a Bab ( ce Sau ut on pes conut Mousse with Coc ce / 18 Passion Fruit Cre esecake with a Guava Sau Che ut on Coc 17 / ing rros / 23 and Cupuaçu Pudd pirinha Bonbons / 22 Chu nut Butter Truffle / 21 Cai Pea 20 / e ttl Bri t nu Pea Souffle / 19 Spoon-Baked Coconut

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desserts

desserts

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