RECIPE - Roast Chicken with Turmeric (Frango Assado com Açafrão-da-terra)

If you only reach for the turmeric on your spice shelf when you're making an Indian recipe, or perhaps a hand-me-down-from-Grandma mustard pickle recipe, then this traditional Brazilian recipe for chicken thighs marinated in a fragrant turmeric and cinnamon paste will be an eye-opener. Turmeric's earthy aroma and taste perfectly complement the sweetness that cinnamon brings to the rub. By using more flavorful thighs rather than breasts the recipe ensures that the strong flavors of the spice mixture do not overwhelm the chicken itself.

Brazilians have been using turmeric (curcuma or açafrão-da-terra) for centuries even though it's not native to the Americas. Turning a dish an appealing golden yellow is only one of the rhizome's qualities - try this recipe to discover how its contribution to the taste of this dish ranks just as high as its color-giving properties.
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RECIPE - Roast Chicken with Turmeric (Frango Assado com Açafrão-da-terra)
Serves 6

12 chicken thighs, skinned
2 Tbsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp powdered cinnamon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the turmeric, cinnamon, chopped onion and minced garlic, plus salt to taste. Stirring constantly, slowly add olive-oil in a thin stream, stopping as soon as you have a thick paste. Do not make the rub too liquid. Add the thighs, turning them over and over in the spice paste until they are completely coated.

Transfer the thighs to one or two large ziplock bags, squeezing out all the air to ensure that the paste adheres to the meat. Put the bags in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate for at least 3 hours, up to 8.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator one half hour before you want to begin to cook to bring the meat to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Put the chicken in a large, non-stick baking pan, and cook in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the juices run clean when a thigh is pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife.

Serve immediately, accompanied by rice or potatoes and a green salad.

Recipe translated and adapted from Globo Rural Picadinho.

RECIPE - Pasta with Chicken and Palm Hearts (Massa ao Molho de Frango e Palmito)

Although there is probably no other ingredient that is more Brazilian than palmito (palm hearts or hearts of palm), for palm trees grow almost everywhere in Brazil and Brazilians have been eating palm hearts since long before the days of European settlement on these shores, it is also an ingredient that is relatively easy to find in most corners of the world.

In Brazil, palmito is often eaten fresh in those areas that have commercial cultivation of palm trees, but in most of the country palmito is eaten conserved in water or brine and preserved in a can. It is the canned palm hearts that can easily be found on supermarket shelves in North America, Europe, or Asia. At one time, in the early stages of the globalization of cuisine, canned palm hearts were considered exotic and strange, and they were relegated to the "gourmet" shelf in markets and supermarkets. They were also very expensive. Today, they're easy to find, usually near the olives, capers and canned artichoke hearts, and though they couldn't be considered cheap, the price is no longer exorbitant.

This Brazilian recipe for a light pasta dish that highlights palmito is an excellent way to serve up a can of palm hearts. Although the flavor of palmito isn't super strong, it often becomes a favorite food of those who come to know it. This dish is a perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with palm hearts, and a welcome treat for those who are already familiar with it.
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RECIPE - Pasta with Chicken and Palm Hearts (Massa ao Molho de Frango e Palmito)
Serves 6

500 gr package Italian pasta - your choice
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb (450 gr) boneless chicken breast, poached, cooled and shredded or cubed
3 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp chopped green olives
1 14-oz (300 gr) can hearts of palm, sliced into rounds
2 Tbsp chopped green onion, green part only, for garnish
salt to taste
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Prepare the pasta according to package directions or to taste.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium frying pan. Add the garlic, chicken, tomatoes, olives and green onion, and cook over medium heat for three minutes, or until the garlic is transparent but not browned and the tomatoes begin to break up. Season with salt to taste, then reserve, keeping warm.

When the past is cooked, drain it thoroughly, then put it in a large decorative serving bowl. Add the chicken/palm heart mixture and toss gently to combine everything. Sprinkle the green onion on top and serve immediately.

RECIPE - Grilled Chicken with Lime Marinade (Frango Grelhado com Limão)

A long time ago clever Brazilian cooks and foodlovers discovered that there is a natural affinity between meats and poultry and sharp, lively lime juice. This is particularly true in the case of grilled meats, but a splash of lime juice (or lemon juice for that matter) can wake up a tired sauce and make almost any meat dish come to life.

This recipe, from the Brazilian website Sabores do chef admirably shows off this animating effect of lime juice. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are marinated for at least six hours in a mixture of lime juice, soy sauce, mustard and other seasonings then grilled. The long time that the chicken spends in the acidic marinade makes for tender chicken and ensures that the breasts won't dry out during the grilling process.

This chicken can be served hot off the grill, or at room temperature. If not serving it immediately, let the breasts cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until about one hour before serving. Remove from the fridge to let the meat rise to room temperature before serving. Served in this manner this chicken makes perfect picnic food.
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RECIPE - Grilled Chicken with Lime Marinade (Frango Grelhado com Limão)
Serves 4

4 chicken half-breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp Tabsco sauce, or other bottled hot sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
wedges of fresh lime for garnish
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Put all the ingredients except the chicken in a large Ziploc-tip plastic bag, close the bag and mix the ingredients thoroughly. Add the chicken breasts, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag, then seal it. Put it in the refrigerator for at least six hours, but no more than about eight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about one half hour prior to cooking. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade for basting the chicken while it grills. Cook the chicken on the grill for 7-8 minutes on the first side and about 5 on the second, depending on the thickness of the breasts. Brush the chicken breasts a couple of times with the reserved marinade during the grilling process. The chicken is done when the outside is nicely browned and the juices run clear. Do not over cook.

Serve immediately, or let cool and serve at room temperature, garnished by wedges of fresh lime.

RECIPE - Tropical Roast Chicken with Passion Fruit Sauce (Chester Tropical com Molho de Maracujá)

Ana Maria Braga

This recipe comes to Flavors of Brazil courtesy of Ana Maria Braga, one of Brazil's most popular daytime TV hosts and the closest thing to Martha Stewart that Brazil has produced. The recipe is for a roasted Chester (click here to find out who/what Chester is) in a sweet-and-sour passion fruit glaze. Though you'll be unlikely to source a Chester to make this exact recipe, it certainly is equally suited to a large roasting chicken, which is what a Chester is after all.
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RECIPE - Tropical Roast Chicken with Passion Fruit Sauce (Chester Tropical com Molho de Maracujá)

For bird:
1 large roasting chicken (or Chester), thawed if frozen
3 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, crushed
1 tsp powdered cinnamon
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 cup passion fruit juice (fresh or from concentrate)
1 cup water
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp corn syrup
4 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

For gravy:
Pan juices from roast
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup passion fruit juice
salt and pepper to taste
seeds of one passion fruit (optional)
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Begin 12 to 24 hours prior to roasting bird. In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, cinnamon, soy sauce and passion fruit juice and blend well. Put the bird in a large zip-loc bag, pour the marinade mixture over, press out excess air and seal the bag. Marinade the bird in the refrigerator, turning the bag over once or twice during this time.

Take the bird out of the refrigerator about 1/2 hour before beginning to roast it. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Put the bird in a large roasting pan, pour the marinade over and around it, and brush the skin of the bird with the melted butter. Put the bird in the oven and roast it, basting from time to time with pan juices. Roast for about 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F (75C). Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes, loosely covered with aluminum foil.

Meanwhile, make the gravy. Stir the cornstarch into the passion fruit juice. Heat the juices remaining in the roasting pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up solid bits. Add the passion fruit juice, and bring all to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the gravy has thickened. Season with salt and pepper and add passion fruit seeds if desired.

Serve the bird whole to be carved at the table, and pass the gravy separately.

Portugal's Culinary Heritage - Cabidela

Yesterday's post on Flavors of Brazil concerned the lingering influence of Portugal upon its far-flung former colonies; in particular, how traditional Portuguese ingredients, techniques and dishes have survived and flourished in corners of the world such as Brazil, Angola, Goa and Macau. In some cases, these dishes have hardly changed in the long time they've been cooked and eaten in their new homes in South America, Africa or Asia. In other cases, local indigenous characteristics and ingredients have been added or used as substitutes to create a new multi-cultural dish.

Both processes, the retention of characteristics from the original Portuguese recipe and the modifications required by different climates, different cultures and different ingredients can be seen by comparing recipes for a traditional Portuguese dish called galinha cabidela. This dish, or variations of it, can be found almost everywhere there were Portuguese colonies or where there are today Portuguese immigrant communities. The word cabidela itself is defined in a Portuguese dictionary as "the bodily extremities of poultry (wings, heads, necks and feet) as well as the liver and other organs of the same animal," and can be traced back to the 16th Century (the Golden Age of Portuguese navigation and exploration). In all Portuguese-speaking territories, however, the dish called galinha cabidela has come to mean a braised chicken (or other meat) cooked in a sauce made of its own blood.

Portuguese cabidela

A very typical recipe for galinha cabidela, probably very close to the original dish, comes from a Portuguese website called Sabor Intenso. (Click here for the recipe with accompanying video, in Portuguese) This recipe calls for a whole chicken, about a half-cup of chicken blood mixed with a small amount of vinegar to prevent clotting, onion, garlic, bay leaves, olive oil, bouillon cubes and water. I don't imagine that the original medieval recipe included bouillon cubes, rather homemade stock was probably used. There is also one chili pepper in the recipe, which of course couldn't have been made part of the recipe until after the European "discovery" of the New World.

Brazilian cabidela

The standard Brazilian recipe (click here) is quite similar to the Portuguese recipe above. One difference is the substitution of lard for olive oil, probably because during the colonial period olive oil wasn't exported from Portugal to the colonies due to preservation problems and olive trees cannot grow in Brazil's tropical heat. Another change is the deletion of bay leaves (a European herb) and the substitution of cilantro, which grows very well in Brazil and is used extensively in Brazilian cooking.

Galinha cabidela is also found in Angola, once one of Portugal's main African colonies. The Angolan recipe for this dish (click here) retains the olive oil of the Portuguese original but adds tomato and green bell pepper to the mix and includes a small glass of white wine as well. In a nod to African tradition, the dish is given a hit of spice by the inclusion of an African hot sauce called piri-piri.

Goan cabidela

Recipes for galinha cabidela can be found even halfway around the world from Portugal, though in these cases, naturally, the dishes have undergone more significant modification. The dish is traditional in the former Portuguese colony of Goa, located south of Mumbai in present-day India. There however, it's more commonly made with pork or rabbit than it is with chicken, though the recipe still calls for animal blood. The Goan recipe also adds typical Indian ingredients such as tamarind juice, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and clove to give the dish a more Asian flavor profile.

And finally, even farther afield - about 7000 miles from Portugal as the crow flies, lies the tiny formerly-Portuguese enclave of Macau, now part of China. The standard recipe there is called pato cabidela not galinha cabidela, as it substitutes duck (pato) for chicken (galinha). In addition to the duck, the dish includes diced pork. Saffron and caraway seeds are added to the list of spices, the white wine of the Angolan recipe is repeated, and there are diced potatoes added to the dish.

But even in all the diversity of these regional variations, the basic "theme" of the recipe remains unchanged by time or distance. Meat, of whatever type, is seasoned and cooked in a sauce made with its own blood. That's the ur-cabidela and it and its numerous offspring are still served, and still loved, anywhere that has a Portuguese cultural heritage.

RECIPE - Dog TV Chicken (Frango de TV de cachorro)

Granted that the name of this recipe somewhat less than enticing, for some reason particularly so in English. However, don't let the name put you off. As detailed in yesterday's post here on Flavors of Brazil, this recipe for seasoned, roasted chicken results in a wonderful moist bird with a crispy skin. The fanciful dog TV business is nothing more than a cute joke about the vertical rotisserie ovens used to cook the chicken in commercial establishments - there's not a television nor a canine in the ingredient list, we promise!

When I lived in Canada, we used to call these things "Safeway chickens", as in "I don't feel like cooking anything tonight, should we just pick up a Safeway chicken?" Even if it came from another supermarket chain or from a neighborhood deli it still was a Safeway chicken. But now that I've learned here in Brazil to call it dog TV chicken, I think I might start a campaign to use the same name in English.

One note about the recipe - it calls for the chicken to be cooked for a very long time at a low temperature in order to keep the bird moist while allowing time for the skin to crisp up. We've done quite a bit of internet research and it appears that the temperature and time specified in the recipe are sufficient to assure that all the surface bacteria are killed. If, however, you are nervous, you can start the cooking at a higher temperature (275F - 130C) for the first hour in order to kill off any bacteria, then reduce the heat (225F - 110C) for the remaining four hours. We've made this dish three or four times using the time and temperature specified in the recipe without unwanted results, but can't of course speak for all ovens, chickens and food sensitivities.
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RECIPE - Dog TV Chicken (Frango de TV de cachorro)
Serves 4

2 tsp salt
2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, quartered
1 medium-sized chicken (2-3 lbs, 1-1.5 kgs)
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(Optional step) One day before cooking, wash the chicken and dry thoroughly inside and out. Place on a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours. This will partially dry out the skin which results in a crispier skin.

In the morning, mix all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. If you haven't already washed and dried the chicken do so now. Rub the spices into all the surfaces of the chicken, inside and out. Place the quartered onion in the cavity of the bird. Put the chicken in a large Ziploc-style bag, or loosely wrap with plastic film and return to refrigerator for 4-6 hours.

Preheat oven to 250F (120C). Remove the chicken from the refrigeratore, put in a roasting pan and cook, uncovered, for five hours, or until the interior temperature of the meat reaches 185F (85C) when measured with a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Recipe translated and adapted from allrecipes.com.br

Brazilian Gastronomic Expressions Pt. 2 - Frango de TV de cachorro

The Portuguese phrase "frango de TV de cachorro" is a common Brazilian way to describe a particular style of roast chicken, one that is loved by Brazilians and particularly associated with Sunday lunchtime, when untold millions of chickens are served up in this style throughout Brazil. The phrase itself means "dog TV chicken", a whimsical way to describe the cooking process.

So what's a "dog TV", then? And why would it be showing chickens? You'll need to click on the read more sign below if you want to see a photo of a dog TV and learn more about this dish.

A Culinary Shrine to Antonio Carlos Jobim

Antonio Carlos "Tom" Jobim

Antonio Carlos Jobim, or Tom Jobim as he's more commonly referred to in Brazil, is Brazil's most well-known composer internationally (sorry, Heitor Villa-Lobos!) Along with João Gilberto he is credited with creating the musical style known as Bossa nova, which took Brazil and much of the rest of the world by storm in the 1960s. A pianist and vocalist as well as a composer, he is remembered for such immortal tunes as "The Girl from Ipanema", "Desafinado", "Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars), "Águas de Março" (Waters of March), and "Wave".

Brazilians were (and still are) crazy for Jobim, both for his musical talent and for his endearing and charming personality. Rio de Janeiro's international airport has been named for him - Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport - putting him in the company of John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Charles de Gaulle and Pierre Trudeau, all of whom have airports named after them.

It's fitting that Rio is the city that decided to honor him thus, as he was born in that city, and it was there that he and his colleagues created Bossa nova. He is particularly associated with Rio's upper-class beachfront neighborhoods of Ipanema and Leblon, where he grew up. It was in Ipanema's Veloso Bar where Jobim and his co-composer Vinicius de Moraes first saw the girl from Ipanema walk by "on her way to the sea" and were inspired to write their classic ode to her youthful beauty and style.

For years, Jobim dined several times a week in Leblon restaurant Plataforma. There Jobim's favorite dish was a flattened and grilled, deboned chicken. This is a classic Brazilian grill recipe and is served in restaurants throughout the country - a small chicken is deboned, spread open at the backbone, weighted down to flatten it, then simply grilled and served with fries and a salad. Jobim always jokingly ordered this dish as "frango atropelado", meaning "run-over chicken", because the flattened chicken looked like it was the one chicken that did not successfully cross the road. The name stuck, and to this day, the dish is called "Frango atropelado de Tom Jobim" on Plataforma's menu.  A fitting tribute to a true musical genius and bon vivant.

RECIPE - Spicy Shrimps on Rice (Arroz de Camarão Picante)

One of the best things about cooking with Brazilian shrimps (other than the fact that they're so tasty) is that they're a breeze to cook. At the fish market located on the beach in Fortaleza you can buy them any size you want, and whether you prefer them peeled or unpeeled, with heads or without, cultivated or from the sea is merely a matter of personal choice. To cook the shrimps is only a matter minutes, literally. To be specific, usually about three of them (minutes, that is).

If you're as much of a fan of hot, spicy dishes as you are of shrimp, then this is a recipe for you. The heat of the dish can be adjusted by modifying the quantity of hot sauce, and if there are fire-eaters at your table you can serve the same hot sauce at the table for those who want to increase the Scoville-unit count of the dish. This dish can be genteely spiced, or it can be kickass hot - it's good either way. Just remember that you can always increase the heat level at the table, but you can't reduce it!
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RECIPE - Spicy Shrimps on Rice (Arroz de Camarão Picante)
Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs (750 gr) small shrimps, peeled
bottled hot sauce to taste, any brand
juice of one lime
grated peel of one lime
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp light brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped and loosely packed
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In a medium mixing bowl combine all the ingredients with the exception of the onion and cilantro. Let marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.

In a large frying pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onion is just transparent. Stir in the shrimps and all the marinade ingredients. Increase heat to bring to a rapid boil - then reduce heat and cook for about three minutes, or until the shrimps are just cooked through.

Remove from the heat and put into a serving bowl. Stir in the cilantro, then serve immediately, accompanied with white rice. Place a bottle of the hot sauce used in the recipe on the table for those who wish a spicier dish.

RECIPE - Spring Chicken (Galeto al Primo Canto)

This recipe comes from a restaurant in Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, called Don Nicola. It is one of the most traditional of the many, many restaurants in the city that specialize in Galeto al primo canto. The dish is so popular at Don Nicola that there is only one dish on the menu - Galeto al primo canto. It comes served with either spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce, or with olive oil and garlic sauce or with butter sauce. That's the extent of the choice. As they say at Don Nicola - take it or leave it.

Apparently most people chose to take it, as the restaurant estimates that they've served more than two million portions since opening over 40 years ago. The owner, Luigi Magno, is an Italian immigrant to Brazil, and brought his recipe with him when he left Calabria for South America. It was created by his aunt, sometime in the 1920s.

Galeto al primo canto can be grilled over charcoal or on a rotisserie, but the most traditional way to cook the small bird is between two hot griddles, pressing the chicken as it cooks. (The mechanism is something like those double griddles in which Italian panini are made, only much larger.) The recipe below is adaptable to any of the cooking methods.
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RECIPE - Spring Chicken (Galeto al Primo Canto)
Serves 6

6 small frying chickens (may be substituted with cornish game hens)
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic
1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
2 Tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp green onions, green part only, finely chopped
3 sprigs fresh marjoram (optional)
pinch nutmeg
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
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The night before serving, prepare the chickens. Remove the skin, then spatchcock each chicken (Click here for a good demonstration of spatchcocking.) Put all the remaining ingredients in a large blender, and blend until you have a homogenous marinade. Correct the marinade for salt.

In a glass or metal roasting pan or lasagne pan, lay out the chickens, then pour the marinade over them. Turn the chickens in the marinade to assure they are well covered with it. Cover the pan with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Once or twice during that time, turn the chickens in the marinade.

The following day, take the chickens out of the refrigerator about one hour before cooking. Grill the chickens on a gas or charcoal barbeque, with or without a rotisserie attachment. If not using a rotisserie, turn the chickens over only once. Grill until the chickens are nicely browned, and the juices run clear. Do not overcook.

Serve immediately with a simple tomato and lettuce salad, and a side of spaghetti with sauce of your choice.

Recipe translated and adapted from Viagem Gastronômico através do Brasil by Caloca Fernandes.

Porto Alegre's Spring Chicken - Galeto al Primo Canto

Since Flavors of Brazil has spent most of this week in the far northern reaches of Brazil, with posts about the markets, seafood and fruits of the Amazonian rain forest, we thought it might be fun to take a virtual flight south, nearly two thousand miles by air, to the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, and its capital Porto Alegre. That's the equivalent distance north-south of a flight from New York to Aruba, or from London to the Canary Islands.

The south of Brazil is a very different place from the north of the country. The climate is temperate with distinct winter and summer seasons. The bulk of the population has its genetic roots in Europe (Italy, Germany, Poland, Spain) rather than in the New World or Africa. Even the way southerners speak Portuguese is different, with a unique accent and local vocabulary. And naturally the food is worlds away from the exotic fish, meats and fruits seen in the Ver-o-Peso Market in Belém.

Porto Alegre, despite its name which means "Happy Port" in Portuguese, is not a maritime city - it's located on a lagoon and is about 40 miles from the open sea. The food of Porto Alegre, therefore, is characterized by its dependence on meat and poultry as a protein, not on fish and seafood. Additionally, the immigrant communities of Rio Grande do Sul arrived with their culinary memories of Europe in their baggage, so German, Italian and Spanish-derived dishes predominate.

One dish that that displays these characteristics - probably the most famous local dish in Porto Alegre - is called Galeto al Primo Canto. Galeto is the Portuguese word for a very young chicken, slaughtered when less than a month old. In French, this type of young bird is known as "poussin" and in English, it's called a spring chichen (as in the expression "He's no spring chicken.") The remainder of the name (al primo canto) isn't Portuguese at all; it's Italian, and it means "at first song." It was Italian immigrants who created the dish in Brazil, and they used young chickens in place of small wild songbirds that were cooked the same way back in the mother country.

The preparation of Galeto al Primo Canto is simplicity itself. First, the chicken is spatchcocked - that is to say, the backbone and sternum are removed, and then the bird is flattened out. Next, the bird is marinated overnight, and finally, it is either charcoal-grilled, rotisserie-grilled or pressed between two hot griddles to cook. It is served normally with a simple lettuce-and-tomato salad and a side of spaghetti with tomato sauce.

In our next post, we'll feature a recipe for Galeto al Primo Canto from one of Porto Alegre's most famous shrines to this dish - one where the owners estimate they've served more than 2.5 million portions of this dish in the 40+ years that they've been open.

RECIPE - Chicken, Palmito and Catupiry Pie (Torta de Frango, Palmito e Catupiry)

In this one-hundredth year of the Brazilian cream cheese, Catupiry, Flavors of Brazil thought it a good idea to celebrate with one of the most well-known traditional recipes employing the creamy-smooth cheese. Brazilians adore a mixture of cooked, shredded chicken meat and Catupiry, flavored with any number of additional items - they use the mixture to fill sandwiches, to spread on toast points, and most particularly to fill a pie crust. Variously known as torta, empada or empadão, a double-crusted pie filled with chicken and cream cheese is a favorite choice for a party, a buffet table, a picnic, for almost anything.

In Brazil, it's easy to buy pre-cooked and pre-shredded chicken meat (frango desfiado) at almost any supermarket, but outside Brazil, you're likely to have to shred your own cooked chicken, whether it's leftovers or chicken cooked expressly for this recipe. Unless you have a source of Catupiry, you'll also have to substitute another brand of cream cheese, Try to find the kind that comes in a jar or tub, not Philadelphia-style, which has too many stabilizers to be used in this recipe.
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RECIPE - Chicken, Palmito and Catupiry Pie (Torta de Frango, Palmito e Catupiry)

For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose white flour
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 1/3 sticks (5 oz, 150 gr) unsalted butter, ice-cold and cut into small cubes
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 small egg
4 Tbsp. cold whole milk


For the filling:
1 lb (400 gr) cooked, shredded chicken meat, at room temperature
1 small can (14 oz) tomatos, with their juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
finely chopped green onion and parsley to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) canned hearts of palm (palmito), diced
10 green olives, pitted and finely chopped
1/3 cup frozen peas, rinsed and separated
1 cup (250 gr) Catupiry or other cream cheese
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Prepare the crust:
Sift together all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter and cut them in, using a pastry cutter, until they are the size of small peas. Add the egg, and then the cold milk (tablespoon by tablespoon), mixing with a wooden spoon, until the mixture barely holds together and you are able to form a ball. Do not overmix. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.


Prepare the filling:
Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the diced onion and cook until the onion is transparent but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute only. Add the canned tomatos (reserving the juice in the can) and continue to cook over medium heat, breaking up the tomatoes as you stir. Then add the shredded chicken, the hearts of palm, the peas, the green onion and parsley and the chopped olives. Stir briefly. Add the reserved juice from the tomatoes, bit by bit, until the mixture is thoroughly moist, but not overly-liquid.

Prepare the pie:
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Remove the chilled pie dough from the refrigerator, and roll out slightly more than half of the ball into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Place into a 9 inch circular pie pan, or cake pan with removable bottom, covering the bottom and sides of the pan. Using a fork, poke holes into the dough, fill the pan with pie weights or dried beans, and put into the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, remove the weights, then fill the pie with the reserved filling. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the filling. Roll out the remaining dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter, and cover the lower crust and filling. Trim the crusts, and seal them together. Cut several holes in the top crust. Return to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the top crust is nicely browned.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

The Coxinha - A Brazilian Fairy Tale

A "Royal" Coxinha

Loyal readers might wonder if Flavors of Brazil itself has gone Crazy for Coxinha (see yesterday's post). They might wonder why this little chicken croquette, small enough to eat in a couple of bites, has already been the subject of two posts on this blog and why it appears that today's offering is another "coxinha special."

Here at Flavors of Brazil, we do admit to enjoying a coxinha from time to time, but share other non-Brazilians' wonder at the reverence with which the coxinha is regarded in Brazilian gastronomic culture. However, just as the American hamburger or France's steak/frites are subjected to overwhelming media coverage in everything from scholarly tomes to comic books, you can't ignore the coxinha if you want to pretend to any sort of complete coverage of Brazil's world of food and eating.

With that in mind, perhaps you might enjoy this possibly apocryphal fairy-tale story of how the coxinha was invented in Brazil more than one hundred years ago. We learned the tale in a recent issue of Brazilian magazine Gula, which incidentally featured a number of articles on the coxinha. The story goes something like this:

One upon a time (actually toward the end of the 19th Century) in the small city of Limeira, Brazil, lived a princess named Isabel. She was normally called simply Princess Isabel, though her real name was Princess Imperial Isabel Cristina Leopoldina Augusta Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga. She was their heir to the Brazilian throne, and was married to a European count, Gaston d'Orléans, Count of Eu. The couple lived on an estate called Morro Azul (Blue Hill) in this small town.

The count and the princess had four sons. One of the boys was kept out of public view, as he suffered from mental illness. This young prince refused to eat anything other than chicken thighs (coxa is the Portuguese word for thigh, and coxinha means "little thigh.") , Because he was a prince, the boy's strange dietary habits were indulged and the cook of the estate prepared chicken thighs daily for him.

One fine day, the cook found that she didn't have any chicken thighs for the boy, though there was plenty of chicken meat left over from the previous day's feast. In desperation, she shredded some left-over chicken meat, wrapped it in a ball of dough and then shaped the dough into the form of a chicken thigh. She breaded the concoction and fried it, then presented it to the young prince. She told him that it was a special little thigh (coxinha) fit only for a prince. He so loved the treat that from that day forward his diet changed from real chicken thighs to his cook's coxinha. He would eat nothing else.

Soon, other family members began to demand these coxinhas, and word spread throughout Limeira about the cook's marvelous invention. The fame of the coxinha grew and grew, and eventually its fame and its recipe traveled all throughout the country. And everyone lived happily every after (while snacking on coxinhas, of course).

There's no proof of the veracity of this story, though the local Limeira historical society has found records of the story going back almost to the time the events were supposed to have happened. It's become part of the oral tradition of Limeira and the characters in the story are all historical. So perhaps we all owe the existance of the coxinha to a clever cook faced with a dilemma who invented an artificial chicken thigh to placate a hungry young prince.

RECIPE - Roulade of Chicken with Orange Juice (Rolê de Frango com Suco de Laranja)

Most of Brazil's annual production of oranges is exported (click here to read more), and most of what remains in Brazil is eaten fresh or drunk as fresh-squeezed orange juice. However, oranges and orange juice have found a place in Brazilian gastronomy and are used as an ingredient in prepared recipes and dishes. Naturally, many of these dishes are desserts, pastries, cakes and sweets, but orange juice is sometimes called for in savory dishes as well.

This recipe is an example of such savory dishes - a main-course preparation of small rolls formed from boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked in a sauce of concentrated (but not FOJC) orange juice. This recipe calls for concentrated fresh-squeezed orange juice, which sounds like a contradiction but which is not. To concentrate the juice required for this dish, squeeze enough orange juice to make one cup. Then boil it rapidly until it is concentrated by half - until you have a half-cup remaining.
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RECIPE - Roulade of Chicken with Orange Juice (Rolê de Frango com Suco de Laranja)
Serves 6

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 pound sliced mozzarella cheese
2 large, ripe tomato - peeled, seeded and cut into thin strips about 1 inch (2 cm) long
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 small onion, peeled and halved
1 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
kitchen twine
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Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

Prepare the orange juice. Put the juice plus the garlic and onion in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue to boil until the juice is reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat, discard the garlic and onion, and reserve.

Prepare the chichen. Place each breast half between two pieces of wax paper and with a mallet or the bottom of a wine bottle lightly pound them to reduce their thickness. Remove from the wax paper, and using a sharp long knife, cut each piece in half again, horizontally. Reserve.

Lay out each piece of chicken, season it with salt and pepper, then cover it with a slice of cheese, trimming the cheese to fit the chicken. Top with two or more strips of tomato. Roll the chicken along the narrow axis to create a tight roll, then tie with kitchen twine to retain its shape during cooking.

Place the rolls in a small casserole or gratin dish, just large enough to hold them. Drizzle the concentrated juice over and place in preheated oven. Cook for about 45 minutes or until the rolls are fully-cooked and browned on top. During the cooking time, you can use a turkey baster to pour some of the pan juices over the rolls if you wish a richer color.

Serve immediately with white rice and a green salad.

RECIPE - Chicken Curry (Curry de Frango)

The cashew tree (caju in Portuguese) originated most probably in the northeastern part of South America, in what is now Brazilian territory. The fruit of the tree and its pendant cashew nut (called castanha de caju in Portuguese) were eaten by native tribes in the region and became known to Portuguese explorers shortly after their first arrival on Brazilian shores in 1500.

As part of the Columbian Exchange of foods between the New and Old Worlds during the 16th Century, Portuguese navigators carried the cashew from Brazil to the Portuguese colony of Goa on the coast of India sometime between 1560 and 1565. From Goa its cultivation rapid spread throughout India, as in most of the subcontinent the growing conditions are similar to those in the cashew's homeland. Today, the cashew is firmly established as a commercial crop in India, and in fact India is the world's largest producer of cashew nuts. As well, the varied cuisines of India have welcomed the cashew into their larder, and curries which include cashew are common throughout the country.

In a country where the large majority of the population is vegetarian, adding cashews to a all-vegetable curry significantly adds to the quantity of protein in the dish. And the meaty texture of braised cashew nuts provides a satisfying, rich mouth feel. It's no wonder the Indians have taken so well to this nut from Brazil.

This recipe for a chicken curry, therefore, can be considered a Brazilian-Indian hybrid. The style of cooking and the spices used make it clearly Indian. But there's a touch of Brazil in the use of cashew nuts. Notice that in this dish, as in most Indian curries, the nuts are raw, not roasted, when they are added to the dish. Raw cashews are available in most health food stores and in many supermarkets as well, so this dish is very easy to make almost anywhere in the world - a fact for which we can thank those Portuguese navigators who took the cashew nut far beyond its natural habitat.
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RECIPE - Chicken Curry (Curry de Frango)

2 lbs (1 kg) skinless, boneless or boned chicken thighs
1/2 cup (125 ml) neutral vegetable oil
1/2 lb (300 gr) raw cashew nuts
3 medium onions
3 cups whole-milk yogurt (for the cashew cream)
1 cup whole-milk yogurt (for the marinade)
1 Tbsp turmeric
1 Tbsp garam masala (available in Indian markets - can be substituted with a good quality mild curry powder)
1 Tbsp freshly-grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
salt to taste
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Cut the chicken into large chunks, approximately 1 1/2 inch (3 cm). In a large mixing bowl combine the 1 cup yogurt, the turmeric, the garam masala or curry powder, the ginger and garlic, then add the chicken, mixing thoroughly to coat all of the meat with marinade. Place in the refrigerator and let marinade for about 2-3 hours maximum.

Halve the onions, then slice them. In a large heavy saucepan heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and fry them, stirring frequently, until they have become golden. Then, stirring constantly, continue to cook them until they turn dark brown and have caramelized, but do not let them burn. Watch carefully, and remove the pan from the heat at the first signs of burning.

Return the pan with the onions to the heat, then add the marinaded chicken, including the marinade. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through and is tender.

Combine the remaining yogurt and the cashews in another mixing bowl and when the chicken is cooked, add the mixture to the pan. Continue to cook until the mixture is well incorporated and the marinade thickens slightly. Do not let the cashews overcook.

Serve immediately, accompanied by white rice, basmati if possible, and a mango chutney.

FOODS OF THE GODS - Xinxim de Galinha

High above ancient Greece on the peaks of Mt. Olympus, the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses dined only on ambrosia and drank nothing but nectar. However, in the traditions of Afro-Brazilian religions, particularly candomblé, the gods and goddesses, known as the Orixás, each have their favorite foods. One Orixá might love acarajé, and another not be able to abide it. Devotees of each Orixá honor their deity by offering plates of their favorite foods, and later by eating the offering at the end of the ritual or ceremony.

Many of the most traditional foods of the African-based cuisine of the state of Bahia, on Brazil's northeast coast, are very closely linked to one or more of candomblé's gods and goddesses. The traditional Bahian table looks very similar in secular and religious settings, and the recipes carried down from generation to generation don't vary depending on whether the dish is destined to highlight a family festival, or to be placed before the altar in a terreiro de candomblé.

One of the most well-loved traditional Bahian dishes, xinxim de galinha (pronounced something like she-she-je-gal-een-ya), is intimately linked to one of the most popular Orixás - Oxum, goddess of fresh water, rivers and waterfalls, wealth, love, and beauty. Young and lovely, meticulous and vain, Oxum dresses luxuriously in yellow, her favorite color, and is often characterized as carrying a metal mirror in which she can admire her own beauty. When devotees of Oxum fall into a trance and become possessed by the goddess, they are dressed in white and yellow and given Oxum's metal mirror. In the syncretic tradition of identifying Orixás with Catholic saints or divinities, Oxum is often identified with one or another of the aspects of the Virgin Mary - Our Lady of Conception or the Virgin of Candelaria.

Not surprisingly, considering Oxum's love of the color, xinxim de galinha is a vibrant yellow dish of chicken in a sauce of ground dried shrimp and nuts, enlivened and made golden by the addition of dendê oil. The pieces of chicken are fried first, then cooked until tender in the thick, rich sauce. Xinxim is always served with plain white rice. In the next post, we'll provide a traditional recipe for xinxim de galinha.

RECIPE - Gizzards in Passion Fruit Sauce (Moela no Molho de Maracujá)

This contemporary uptake on a traditional Brazilian bar snack, gizzards in a sauce, was created by chef Sol Caldeira, of São Paulo's Tubaína Bar, and was presented by the chef during the recent São Paulo food exhibition and trade show Semana Mesa SP, sponsored by Brazilian magazine Prazeres da Mesa.

Tubaína Bar is a casual and hip bar in the Baixa Augusta neighborhood in central São Paulo. It's name honors an iconic soft drink from the interior of São Paulo state, one that has nostalgic appeal for many dwellers in the megapolitan city of São Paulo. The decor and the menu reflect the culture and tastes of the interior of São Paulo, but updated and rendered more sophisticated to match the tastes of young urbanites. This dish takes a traditional bar snack, chicken gizzards (moelas) braised in a sauce, and updates and lightens it with a bright, acidic sauce made from passion fruit (maracujá)
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RECIPE - Gizzards in Passion Fruit Sauce (Moela no Molho de Maracujá)
Serves 6

1 1/2 lb (600 gr) cleaned chicken gizzards
1/2 cup (100 ml) passion fruit juice, concentrated
4 Tbsp. finely minced onion
2 Tbsp. finely minced garlic
2 Tbsp. extravirgin olive oil
4 thin slices fresh ginger
water
vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
sprig of rosemary and a few pink peppercorns (to garnish)
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Cut the gizzards into halves, or quarters if they are large. Wash them thoroughly, place them in a mixing bowl and cover with a mixture of water and vinegar in 80% to 20% proportion. Let sit in water for 15 minutes.

In a heavy saucepan with cover, preferably enameled cast iron, heat the olive oil over medium high heat, then sauté the onions and garlic until they are soft and the onions are transparent but not browned. Drain the gizzards, then add them to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the ginger slices and cayenne pepper. Stir to mix thoroughly.

Sauté the gizzards until they have given up their juices and are dry. Add the concentrated passion fruit juice and 2 cups (500 ml) water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and cover pan. Cook for about 45 minutes, adding additional water if the sauce begins to dry up, until the gizzards are cooked through and tender. If the sauce is watery, briefly increase heat to reduce the liquid.

Place the gizzards and sauce in the center of a deep plate and decorate with the rosemary and pink peppercorns. Surround the gizzards with thick slices of toasted baguette.

INGREDIENTS - Gizzards (Moela)

When I was a kid, our family was pretty vanilla when it came to the foods that were put on the table - nothing to strange or exotic really. The family's idea of something foreign and sophisticated was lasagne. We ate a lot of meat and potatos (and casseroles!) Certainly no sweetbreads, tripe, or even much in the way of liver. However, from time to time, my mother would serve a dinner in which the main course was sautéed chicken gizzards. Where did that come from? I really don't know but as a kid I loved them. With a chewy, muscular texture, and meaty taste, I thought they were wonderful.

Later, I lost my taste for gizzards, based probably on cultural prejudices against organ meats, I stopped eating them. Offal and awful were synonymous to me. For a long time I didn't give gizzards a second thought. Moving to Brazil, though, has brought gizzards (called moela here) back to mind. They are a favorite food of many Brazilians, and along with chicken hearts, a favorite bar food. While chicken hearts are normally served grilled on a skewer, gizzards in Brazil most often come braised in a sauce and are served with chunks of French bread to sop up the sauce. Sometimes the sauce is spicy, sometimes it is tomatoey and herbal, and sometimes it's just a quick gravy made with the pan juices. But it's almost always delicious.

Served with rounds of icy-cold Brazilian lager beer, and shared, along with the conversation, among friends around the table in a boteco or bar, gizzards make a marvelous light meal. If you've never been a gizzard-eater, or like me had forgotten about them, return them to their rightful place on the plate. You might be very pleasantly surprised.

In the next post on Flavors of Brazil, I'll provide a typical Brazilian recipe for gizzards sparked with a sophisticated, contemporary twist.

RECIPE - Chicken Breast with Lime Peel (Filé de Frango com Raspas de Limão)

Whenever I'm looking for a quick weeknight supper dish - something that can be shopped for, prepared and eaten without much fuss, muss or bother - I often find myself checking out chicken breast recipes. They often fit the bill, whether I'm back in Canada or here in Brazil.

This recipe, from the state of Paraíba in northeastern Brazil, has quickly become a standard since I first found it about six months ago. The acidity and brightness of the lime flavor makes the finished dish sparkle. And the fact that it making it takes only a half an hour from start to finish is an added bonus on a busy day.
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RECIPE - Chicken Breast with Lime Peel (Filé de Frango com Raspas de Limão)
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halves)
juice of one large lime
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. extravirgin olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) good quality chicken broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. finely grated lime peel (best using microplaner)
4 thin lime slices to decorate
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Season the chicken breasts with the lime juice, plus salt and pepper to taste. Let marinade for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. In a large non-stick frying pan heat the olive oil, then brown the chicken on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken, reserve and keep warm. In the same frying pan, add the reserved marinade and deglaze the pan. Add the chopped onion and chicken broth and cook over high heat for 5 minutes to cook the onion and reduce the liquid. Return the chicken breasts to the pan, cover with sauce and cook for a couple of minutes or until just done. Remove the pan from heat, then stir in the grated lime peel.

Serve immediately accompanied by boiled potato or white rice, decorating each breast with a slice of lime.

Translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora

RECIPE - Chicken and Rice Soup (Canja)

Whether you're a confirmed believer or a total skeptic when in comes to the curative and restorative properties of chicken soup, this simple recipe for the Brazilian-Portuguese chicken and rice soup called canja will make you a confirmed believe as to its gastronomic qualities. It's absolutely delicious and utterly simple to make.

Since the main meal of the day in Brazil is a mid-day, supper or dinner is relatively light and uncomplicated. As the evenings are also cooler than daytime in Brazil's tropical heat, soup is served more often for dinner, and canja is an obvious favorite. Most Brazilian cities have many small restaurants that serve a variety of soups, with bread and butter, and nothing else. Most of these open about 5 pm and close between 9 and 10 pm. My favorite, a nameless joint located just 4 blocks from my home in Fortaleza, normally has from 5 to 7 different soups on offer, and one of these is always canja. A large serving of soup plus bread costs only R$5.00 or approximately USD $3.00. It's a reliable go-to spot for me when I've run out of food or culinary inspiration at home.

This canja recipe is typical, but absolutely not definitive. It can be altered at will, and as long as it contains at minimum chicken and rice, it can deservedly be called canja.
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RECIPE - Chicken and Rice Soup (Canja)
Serves 6

1 whole small chicken, preferably free-range
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot, cut into small cubes
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 quarts (3 liters) water
1 cup white rice
3 Tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley
additional olive oil to taste
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Thoroughly wash the chicken, then cut it into serving size pieces. Season the pieces with salt and pepper. In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat the olive oil, then add the carrot, onion, and the garlic, and cook, stirring until the vegetables are softened and the onion is transparent but not browned. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes, or until the chicken begins to brown slightly. Add the water, stir to mix all, then increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan or pot and cook for about one hour, or until the chicken is well-cooked and tender. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Remove the chicken from the soup, discard the skin and shred the meat. Reserve.

(If desired, the soup may be chilled at this point to solidify the fat for removal.)

Reheat the soup, return the shredded chicken to the pot, then add the rice. Bring to a boil again, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary during cooking. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, then remove from heat.

Sprinkle the soup with chopped parsley, stir, then serve immediately.

Pass additional olive oil for drizzling if desired.