RECIPE - Bean Soup Brazilian Beach Style (Caldinho de Feijão)

To wrap up Flavors of Brazil's series of posts on Brazilian beach-style soup recipes, we're posting one of the most traditional as well as most popular caldinhos (cups of soup in Portuguese) - bean soup with coconut milk. Along with the ever-popular fish and shrimp soups solds on the beaches of Brazil, bean soup is a favorite choice for Brazilian beach-goers on beaches all along the coastline of Brazil.

This soup can be made with any variety of dried beans. Even in Brazil, the choice of beans in this soup varies from region to region and from vendor to vendor. In Rio de Janeiro you're most likely to find black bean soup, and in the northeast of the country the most popular choice is carioca beans (similar to pinto beans).

This recipe starts with about three cups of basic Brazilian beans, already cooked. We published the recipe in back in 2010 and you can link to that recipe here), you can use those beans and some of their broth as the soup base. Either way you'll end up with a hearty and nourishing bean soup, enlivened and "Brazilianized" by the presence of coconut milk. The recipe makes a large quantity of soup, but it freezes marvelously, so you needn't worry about any going to waste.
________________________________________________
RECIPE - Bean Soup Brazilian Beach Style (Caldinho de Feijão)


3 cups approximately, cooked Brazilian-style beans, and their broth (recipe here)
3/4 cup (200 ml) coconut milk
1 small chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
2 Tbsp chopped green onion, for garnish
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnish
2 Tbsp finely chopped red or green bell pepper, for garnish
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Combine the beans and their broth, the coconut milk and optional chili pepper in a large bowl, then blend them, in batches if necessary, until you have a homogenous mixture.

Pour the blended mixture into a large sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 minutes at a simmer.

Pour the hot soup in cups or mugs, and sprinkle the surface with chopped green onions, bell peppers and/or cilantro.
Serve immediately.

RECIPE - Fish Soup, Brazilian Beach Style (Caldinho de Peixe)

Brazilian beach-style soups, whether eaten on a hot summer's day on the beach, or at home on a cold and damp winter's day, are marvelous pick-me-ups and satisfy without filling. In Brazil, these soups are served in small cups, often plastic ones when they are bought from vendors at the beach, but they are only improved when they're served in small proper soup cups or bowls.

These soups (called caldinhos in Portuguese) are fortunately also very simple to make and don't involve a lot of time or effort. Whether January brings you chilly winter weather or the dog days of summer, you'll find that Brazilian beach-style ish soup really hits the spot.
_______________________________________________
RECIPE - Fish Soup, Brazilian Beach Style (Caldinho de Peixe)
Makes 4 small cups or 2 bowls

1 medium-size fish steak (any type of white fish)
1 medium fish head (non-oily fish only), thoroughly cleaned and rinsed
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
handful fresh cilantro
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
additional chopped cilantro (garnish, optional)
croutons (garnish, optional)
chopped green onions, green part only (garnish, optional)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a food processor or blender combine the tomatoes (put in first), onion, green pepper, garlic and cilantro. Pulse to begin, then blend until you have a homogenous mixture. Reserve.

Cut the fish steak into large pieces. Combine the fish steak and fish head (whole) in a large saucepan and add 1 liter (1 quart) cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Add the blender mixture and cook, at a slow boil, until the mixture has reduced by approximately half. Remove from heat.

Take the fish head plus any skin or bones out of the soup and discard. Pour the remainder in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a clean saucepan, then stir in the coconut milk and olive oil. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil.

Serve in bowls or cups, and pass additional cilantro, croutons and/or green onions in small cups as individual garnishes.

Recife's Surprising Favorite Beach Snack - Soup!

When you're at the beach on a hot and sunny day and you start to feel peckish, what perks your appetite? A cooling fruit salad? A bowl of gazpacho? A chilled, frosty drink? If you're from Recife, in Brazil's always-tropical northeast, it's not like to be any of those things. What makes your mouth water on a scorching afternoon at the beach is a cup of hot soup.

Hot soup?

That's right, in Recife, according to a survey by the city's municipal government and judging by the number of soup vendors that populate the city's most popular beaches, what beachgoers want is a cup of soup (called caldinho or "little soup" in Portuguese), steaming hot. Whether it's bean soup, shrimp soup or fish soup, soup is what hits the spot in Recife.

There is a scientific basis to this predilection for hot soup on a hot day. Ingesting hot food causes the body to sweat, and as the sweat evaporates, it cools the body. It's for the same reason that Thai food, Indian food and other cuisines from hot climes are often spicy - the chiles cause sweating, which cools the body. It's counter-intuitive, but it does work. And it seems that Recife's beach crowd has figured it out.

The garnishes that accompany caldinho are almost as important to customers as the soup itself, according to many of the ambulant vendors that walk the beach all day long, dishing out plastic cups of soup from a thermos jug and adding garnishes according to the customer's desires. Traditional accompaniments include quails' eggs, torresmo (pork rinds), corn kernels and olive slices.

In addition to ambulant vendors, there are beachside stands that sell soup to walk-up customers, and in the most popular of those, it's not uncommon to sell 80 liters (80 quarts) of soup on a weekend afternoon. Many of the stands are weekend-only propositions and are staffed by members of a single extended family.

Customers and vendors alike stress the importance of sanitation and hygiene, and regular beachgoers often have their own list of trusted vendors, from whom they buy caldinho exclusively. Vendor José Carlos da Silva, who has 20-years' experience selling soup on Recife's beaches, points out that the hot soup itself is normally safe to eat, but that one must take extra care when choosing the accompaniments which are normally at ambient temperature.

Coming up in our next posts are some typical caldinho recipes from northeastern Brazil. They're great whether served on a tropical beach, or in a snowbound cabin in the mountains.

RECIPE - Brazilian Mussel Chowder (Caldo de Sururu)

One of the pleasures of the northeastern Brazilian beach (and there are many) is the sight of a vendor making his or her way along the strand carrying one or two termos bottles, a supply of plastic cups, and perhaps some small containers with hot chili sauce, chopped green onions or chopped cilantro. When you spot one of these coming your way, you know that you're going to be offered a cup of hot soup (caldo in Portuguese). And you know you'll accept. The only question is what kind.

Soup doesn't seem like something you'd want to eat on a topical beach under the blazing sun, but take it on faith, it is. It nourishes without filling, satisfies like a meal does, yet leaves you with room to enjoy a cold beer, caipirinha or soft drink. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem to make you feel any hotter either.

The standard offerings for on-the-beach soups are bean, fish and sururu. If you have read yesterday's post on this blog, you'll know that the sururu is a tiny mussel native to northeast Brazil. It's locally believed to be an aphrodisiac  as well. So if you aren't sure you want your sexual desire to be enhanced, which is after all what aphrodisiacs do, then choose bean or fish. But if the company and the mood are suitable, give sururu a try. At worst, you'll most likely have a delicious cup of soup, at best, one with a spectacular added bonus.

The sururu mussel in found only in tropical waters, primarily in Brazil, but if you want to make this soup at home, you can use any variety of mussel available. Be warned though - there may be no aphrodisiac effect! The recipe also calls for the tropical palm oil known as dendê. There is no acceptable substitute for dendê but you may leave it out entirely if you wish as it's more of a garnish than an ingredient. Outside Brazil dendê can often be found in Latin American or Brazilian grocery stores, or in African grocery stores, where it's called palm oil.
_____________________________________________
RECIPE - Brazilian Mussel Chowder (Caldo de Sururu)
Serves 10

1 lb. thoroughly washed mussels, meat only, no shells
2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4 cups (1l) water
salt and black pepper to taste
3/4 cup cooked, mashed manioc or potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
 dendê oil to drizzle
lime wedges
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Put the tomatoes, chopped onion and garlic in a blender and liquidize thoroughly. Pour into a large saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat.

When the liquid is just at the boiling point, add the mussels, the mashed potatoes or manioc and half the water. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes only, or until the mussels are just firm. Add additional water if needed to reach a rich but pourable soup consistency. Bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour into small bowls, cups or drinking glasses. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and drizzle a bit of dendê oil over, if desired. Serve immediately accompanied by wedges of fresh lime.

On The Road - Belém (Pt. 6) - Tacacá

tacacá

At the end of the afternoon in Belém, around four or five, just after the daily torrential downpour ends, a collective hunger pervades local residents. It's the same hour as tea in London, churros and hot chocolate in Madrid, or coffee and Viennese pastries in Vienna, but nobody in Belém indulges in any of those treats. Here the end of the afternoon means only one thing. It's time to "take tacacá." Although tacacá is a soup, in the local dialect one doesn't drink or eat it, one takes it - tomar tacacá.

One might think that the last thing anyone would want in the muggy heat of an Amazonian afternoon is a steaming hot bowl of soup. But if one thinks that way, one's not from Belém. For Belenenses (inhabitants of Belém), a bowl of tacacá cures all ills and soothes the soul like nothing else. It also tides one over until dinner quite nicely.

tacacazeira

Taking tacacá has long been a ritual all throughout the Amazonian basin, though anthropologists tell us it originated among the Amerindian tribes in the region nearest to Belém. How, when and why it is served are controlled by age-long custom. Among the unwritten rules and regulations: tacacá is street food, purchased and eaten on the street. Tacacá vendors, usually women and known as tacacazeiras, sell their product from carts and stalls situated on the street, on the corner or in a park, just like Salvador's famous baianas and their acarajé. Tacacá must be served in a gourd, never in a plastic or ceramic bowl. The gourd sometimes nestles in a small woven basket to make it easier to pick up when filled with hot tacacá and traditionally decorated gourds are often lovely objets d'arts. Tacacá must be sipped directly from the gourd, not brought to the mouth via a spoon, although a small toothpick is often provided to help pick out the solid ingredients. Finally, and seemingly perversely, tacacá has to be very, very hot.

tacacá gourd

To sit on a small plastic stool on a busy street in Belém at 5 pm, watching the tacacazeira dish out portion after portion of tacacá while sipping from one's own gourd is to participate in the life of the city and to share a culinary ritual that goes back millennia.

proper technique

So what, exactly, is this soup that's so much a part of Belém's identity? For readers who've been following these recent Flavors of Brazil posts on the foods of Belém it won't be a surprise that the basis of tacacá is manioc. The broth that is at the center of tacacá is seasoned tucupi (the liquid that results from squeezing grated manioc root), thickened with manioc starch, also known as tapioca. The broth is enlivened with with a dash of hot chili peppers preserved in tucupi. Cooked in the broth are leaves of the anesthetic jambu, which deadens the mouth and makes the tongue tingle, and dried shrimp. That's all there is to it - spicy broth, jambu leaves and a few shrimp.

But to call tacacá simply a soup with a few shrimps and some greens is to sell it short. A well-prepared tacacá is marvelously delicious and a true end-of-the-afternoon pick-me-up. The spicy liquid, the tingly sensation in the mouth and the rich, salty tang of the shrimp awaken all your senses without leaving you feeling full or over-satiated. It's just what you need to carry you through the end of the day. It's the chicken soup which nourishes the soul of Belém.

RECIPE - Slavic Soup (Sopa Eslava)

When March has come in like a lion and the days are cold, damp and blustery one's mind often turns to thoughts of hot, meaty, comforting soups. There's nothing better than a bowl of soup to warm one  from the inside out. Other than steeping in a hot bath for a prolonged period of time, soup is probably the most pleasurable way to warm the body when it's just come in from the cold.

The comfort of hot soup on a cold day is an unknown pleasure to most Brazilians. In the twelve-month heat wave that is the most typical kind of weather in Brazil, soup just doesn't have the appeal it does when the outside temperature is below zero. Consequently, Brazilians don't eat soup as often as do people living in colder climes, and soup isn't served nearly as often as it is closer to the poles.

In the most southerly parts of Brazil, though, soup is more common. There are really two explanations for this. First, the south is the coldest part of Brazil, relatively speaking. Being farther from the equator, the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná have four distinct seasons, and in mid-winter (July and August south of the equator) days can be drizzly and raw, and from time to time there's even a dusting of snow. It's real "soup-eating weather."

The second reason that the south has more of a taste for soup is related not to weather but to immigration patterns. This part of Brazil has the highest percentage of European immigrant roots, specifically northern European. The Brazilian south was settled, in many places, by immigrants from Germany, from Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe. One of the things that these immigrants carried with them from their homelands in Europe to their new homes in Brazil was a love of soup. That, and the memories of favorite soups from Europe have resulted in a soup-eating tradition in southern Brazil. Families who can trace their ancestry back to the countryside of Eastern Europe treasure old recipes for soup and put soup on the family table to this day.

This recipe, which has obvious European roots, comes from Paraná, where it is called simply Slavic soup. It might come from Poland, or from the Ukraine, or from Bulgaria (where the family of Brazil's current president, Dilma Rousseff, comes from). But it's now become Brazilianized and rebaptized in honor of immigrants from all the slavic countries of the world.
_____________________________________________
RECIPE - Slavic Soup (Sopa Eslava)
Serves 10

1 lb. stewing beef, cut into small cubes (1/2 inch max)
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 lbs (1 kg) boiling potatoes, peeled but whole
8 cups (2 liters) light beef, chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
sweet paprika to taste
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 cup sour cream (or Brazilian creme de leite)
salt to taste
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Toss the cubed meat with the salt. Reserve.

Heat the oil in a large pot until hot but not smoking. Add the cubed beef and fry for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and fry for 3 more minutes. Add the chopped onion and continue to fry for 10 minutes more, or until the onion is soft but not browned. Add the potatoes and the stock, the paprika and the Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Correct for salt. 

Remove the potatoes, mash them, and return them to the pot. Add the sour cream or creme de leite and cook for 10 more minutes.

Serve immediately. If desired, garnish with a dab of sour cream and a few fresh sage leaves.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

RECIPE - Calf's Foot Soup (Caldo de Mocotó)

This traditional Brazilian recipe for a thick soup made with calf's foot (mocotó) is one of those soups that nourishes, fills and warms up whoever eats it. It's a perfect winter soup - for those days when the weather is damp and raw and it seems impossible to get warm. So what's it doing coming from Brazil, where one's weather-related problem is far more likely to be how to cool off than how to warm up?

Well, this dish is part of Brazil's Portuguese heritage and as anyone who's visited Portugal in the winter months can attest, that country, particularly in the mountainous interior, can be bitterly cold. The Portuguese developed a taste for calf's foot soup and even after being transplanted to the tropics of Brazil, Portuguese colonists continued to prepare it and enjoy calf's foot soup, tropical heat notwithstanding.

In Brazil, this soup is considered to be a restorative pick-me-up, and Brazilians are accustomed to eating it at the very end of a night out to ward off a hangover, or first thing in the morning to deal with the ills of having over-indulged or simply to prime the pump for the day's activities ahead.

This YouTube video (in Portuguese only) deomnstrates how caldo de mocotó is made and enjoyed. Even if you don't understand the audio, it's quite easy to figure out what's happening in the video. The recipe below isn't exactly the same as the one used in the video, but it's very typical. Like many traditional dishes, caldo de mocotó has as many recipes as there are cooks who can make it - everyone has their own tricks and secret ingredients. And as anyone can tell you, no one knows how to make caldo de mocotó better than their own mother.

_____________________________________________________
RECIPE - Calf's Foot Soup (Caldo de Mocotó)

1 calf's foot (have your butcher cut it into rounds about 2-3 inches thick)
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
6 sups (1500 ml) water
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 small chili pepper, jalapeno or similar, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 sprig cilantro, whole
2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp green onion, green parts only, finely chopped
salt to taste
one medium boiling potato, peeled and cubed (optional)
one large carrot, peeled and sliced (optional)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a large bowl, soak the rounds of calf's foot for at least thirty minutes. Drain, then wash the rounds carefully and thoroughly with a stiff vegetable brush. Reserve.

In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat the olive oil then add the rounds of calf's foot. Fry for a short time, then add the water the cloves and the bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a very slow boil. Skim off the scum as it rises to the surface and continue to do so until no more scum is produced.

Next add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, chili pepper and cilantro sprig. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for two hours, adding water from time to time to replace the quantity that evaporates. After two hours, remove one round of calf's foot, let cool for a few minutes and then verify that it is completely tender, soft and falling off the bone. If so, remove the soup from the heat, if not, cook a bit longer and test again. Once the calf's foot is cooked, remove from heat, discard the cloves, the cilantro and bay leaf and let cool completely.

Once the soup is cool, remove the calf's foot rounds and pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones, and chop the meat roughly, then return it to the soup. Return the soup to the stove, add the optional potato and carrot if desired, bring to a simmer and cook for thirty more minutes. Correct the seasoning with salt.

Serve hot.

RECIPE - Leão Veloso Soup (Sopa Leão Veloso)

Rio de Janeiro's venerable downtown restaurant Rio Minho is home to one of Brazil's most famous "homage" recipes, Seafood Stew Antônio Houaiss, named in honor of of Brazil's most important lexicographer. (The recipe can be found here). But that dish isn't the only one served at Rio Minho which honors a famous Brazilian of the past. Rio Minho is also home to a Brazilian take on the French classic bouillabaisse, created by and named in honor of Leão Veloso.

Pedro Leão Veloso was a Brazilian politician and diplomat who served his country as Minister of Exterior Relations during the period 1944-1946. (Interestingly, his predecessor in that post, Osvaldo Aranha also has given his name to a famous Brazilian dish - details can be found here). In addition to having the soup bear his name, Sr. Veloso was also the creator of the dish. He had developed a passion for bouillabaisse when visiting its birthplace Marseille, France, and decided to create a Brazilian version of it upon his return to Brazil. His soup contained locally-available fish and seafood and substitutes annatto paste or oil (urucum) for bouillabaisse's traditional saffron. According to Rio Minho's chef Ramon Isaac Tielas Domingues, who has been in the restaurant's kitchen for thirty years, over time the restaurant has chosen to add sweet paprika to color and flavor the soup rather than annatto, but other than that, the recipe served to today is entirely Sr. Veloso's.

The recipe calls for a large quantity of a variety of fish and shellfish (just like bouillabaisse). It does make enough soup for a large crowd however, 10 persons, and is filling enough to serve as a main-course dish. Serve with plenty of crusty French bread and a leafy green salad.

________________________________________________
RECIPE - Leão Veloso Soup (Sopa Leão Veloso)
Serves 10

1 lb (500 gr) medium shrimp, unpeeled
2 lbs (1 kb) clams or mussels
1 large white fish, whole, including head (grouper, snapper) - about 3 lbs (1.g kg)
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
salt to taste
2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 whole chili pepper (malagueta, jalapeno, serrano)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb (500 gr) crab meat, picked over
1 lb (500 gr) lobster meat, coarsely chopped
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wash the shrimp and scrub the clams well to remove all sand. If using mussels, debeard them. Separate the fish head from the body - cut the body into steaks and chop the head into several large pieces. Reserve.

Place the pieces of fish head in a large stockpot, then add 2 quarts (2 liters) cold water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming off foam and scum. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for one hour. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, pressing hard on the fish to increase the flavor of the stock.

Return the stock to a clean stockpot, bring to a slow boil, then add the shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes or until the shrimp takes on a pink color. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon, let cool, then peel and reserve them. Reserve the stock in the pot.

Next add the clams or mussels to the stockpot and cook for a few minutes, or until they open. Remove the shellfish with a slotted spoon, discarding any unopened ones. Remove the meat from the shells and reserve.

In a large heavy-duty frying pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil then fry the fish steaks, in batches if necessary. Cook until the fish just begins to flake. Drain the fish on paper towels, allow to cool slightly then flake the meat, discarding bones and skin. Reserve.

In the same frying pan, combine the chopped tomatoes, the garlic, the cilantro, the onion and the parsley and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, or until the onion and garlic have softened and the tomato becomes a pulp. Add salt to taste and the paprika and cook for one more minute.

Heat the stock in the pot, then add the tomato/garlic mixture. Cook over very low heat, at a slow simmer for 40 minutes. Add the reserved shrimps, shellfish and flaked fish, then the crab meat and lobster. Cook for 10 minutes then serve immediately in deep soup plates.

RECIPE - Fish Soup from Ceará (Sopa de Peixe Cearense)

A jangada at sea

There's something deeply satisfying about an uncomplicated, non-tarted-up, rich fish soup. Aromatic, packed with the flavors of the sea, and elemental, it appeals to our most basic appetites. Almost every culture that lives from the sea has just such a soup - Mediterranean France's soupe aux poisson, Norwegian fiskesuppe, Thai bo taek and many more are all variations on a universal theme.

The fishermen of Brazil's north and north-eastern coasts, called jangadeiros from the name of the simple rafts they sail on (jangadas), have been making just such a soup for centuries. They make it, amazingly, at sea while on board their jangadas, and they make it when they return home. The same soup is also made in portside restaurants, located in the market where the jangadeiros sell their catch within hours of landing. And its made in Brazilians homes and apartments to anchor a family meal.

What gives this soup is Brazilian twist is the presence of coconut milk and the combination of chopped green onions and cilantro called cheiro verde (green aroma). The recipe calls for Brazilian-style fish stock, which can be made by following the instructions in the previous post on Flavors of Brazil. Even allowing for time to make the stock, this soup is quick and easy to prepare and is sure to appeal to anyone who loves fish and seafood.
___________________________________________________
RECIPE - Fish Soup from Ceará (Sopa de Peixe Cearense)
Serves 4

1/2 lb (250 gr)  boneless fish fillets from any white fish variety (halibut, cod, snapper, sole, etc)
4 cups (1 liter) Brazilian fish stock
1 medium boiling potato, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp cilanto, finely chopped
4 Tbsp green onion, green part only, finely chopped
1/3 cup (100 ml) coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a large saucepan combine the fish, the fish stock, the potato, onion, cilantro and green onion. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook at a low boil until the fish and potatoes are very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Using a wooden spoon, mash the fish and potato cubes against the side of the saucepan until you have a rough puree. Do not over-mash, there should be some consistency to the soup. Season for salt and pepper.

Return to the heat and bring just to a boil. Remove heat, stir in the coconut milk and divide among four deep soup plates. Sprinkle additional chopped cilantro over to garnish if desired. Serve with thick slices of peasant bread.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take Three (Bambá de Couve)

Ouro Preto

For our final trip round the caldo verde table, we'd like to present a traditional soup from the historic baroque city of Ouro Preto (Black Gold) in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Nestled in a green, mountainous landscape, Ouro Preto was the fabulously wealthy focal point of Brazil's 18th century gold rush, and has been preserved in all its baroque glory, virtually unchanged, up to today. Its steep cobblestone streets that climb and descend the hillsides on which Ouro Preto is built, its over-the-top baroque churches with gilded altars and ceilings and its noble public squares have earned Ouro Preto a place in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

Ouro Preto's own local version of caldo verde, called bambá de couve, is served in many of Ouro Preto's charming small restaurants and inns, and is suitably warming on chilly evenings, frequent in this mountain city which sits at an altitude of almost 1200 meters (4000 ft). The soup has a charmingly poetic name, bambá de couve being best translated as "dance of kale" our "game of kale", and it's got the hearty, filling richness that a meal-in-a-bowl needs.

There are two major differences between bambá de couve and the other versions of caldo verde that we've been publishing recently here on Flavors of Brazil. The first is the presence of fresh eggs, which are poached separately then added to the soup, and the second is fubá, a cornmeal flour that is the Brazilian equivalent of polenta. These two ingredients add a substantiality to bambá de couve that creates a full-meal soup. All you need to add to the table are chunks of rustic, crusty bread and you have a perfect cold-weather meal.
________________________________________________
RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take Three (Bambá de Couve)
Serves 4

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 cups (1.5 liters) light chicken stock
salt to taste
3 Tbsp fubá (packaged polenta meal can be substituted)
1 cup cubed bacon, lightly packed
10 leaves kale, coarsely shredded by hand
4 whole eggs, free-range preferred
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
In a large heavy saucepan heat the bacon cubes over medium heat until they begin to render their fat, then add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is transparent but not browned and the bacon begins to crisp. Drain off excess bacon fat if desired. Add 3 cups water and bring to the simmering point.

Meanwhile, mix the fubá or polenta in the remaining 3 cups of cold water, and stir to completely moisten the meal. Add to the bacon, onion, garlic mixture in the saucepan, raise temperature slightly, and cook at a slow boil for 5 minutes or until the soup has thickened nicely. Correct for salt - you may not need any depending on the saltiness of the bacon. Add the shredded kale and keep the soup at the simmer point while you poach the eggs.

In a large frying pan or other device poach the four whole eggs according to your preferred method.

Divide the hot soup between four large soup plates. Place a poached egg on the top of each and serve immediately.

Recipe translated and adapted from Folha de S. Paulo newspaper.

RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take Two (Caldo Verde Cearense)

Yesterday's post extolling the winter charms of Portugal's (and now Brazil's) famous kale, potato and sausage soup caldo verde highlighted the meteorological similarities between the cold, damp winter temperatures in the soup's homeland and it's new home in the New World. But it's not only the weather that allows the more temperate regions of Brazil to offer up  such delicious caldo verde, it's the fact that the ingredients which are the backbone of caldo verde can be cultivated most successfully in precisely those parts of Brazil that are most similar in weather and soil conditions to Portugal.

The weather in great areas of Brazil, however, is worlds away from what Portugal experiences. There aren't any winter foods in Brazil's north and northeast for the simple reason there is no winter. Just like with winter clothes - people in those regions just don't need them.

Caldo verde as it's served in Europe really has no place in tropical climates. And what is more, some of the ingredients of the soup, particularly potatoes don't find the tropics to be friendly environments. But the culinary influence of Portugal is just as strong in these hot climes as it is further south. So what happens? Caldo verde mutates in these regions to something lighter, less rich and which substitutes locally available ingredients - potato makes way for manioc and the fatty Portuguese sausage chouriço is replaced by small quantities of sun-dried carne de sol and bacon.

You might just call it a tropical tribute to the Portuguese original. And a suitable tribute it is - delicious and substantial without being heavy, caldo verde cearense (caldo verde from Ceará) shows its European lineage with pride, and exhibits its tropical reinventiveness with equal pride.
__________________________________________________
RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take Two (Caldo Verde Cearense)
2 servings

1 lb (400 gr) manioc tubers, peeled and cubed
4 cups (1 liter) cold water
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp cubed bacon
2 Tbsp cooked and shredded carne de sol
1/3 cup kale, cut into this strips and lightly packed
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
salt to taste
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a heavy saucepan saute the onion and bacon until the onion is transparent and the bacon has rendered most of its fat. Add the cubed manioc and the cold water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until the manioc is fully tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pour into a saucepan, add the strips of kale and the shredded carne de sol and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the kale is softened and has a bright green color. Check for salt and season if required - which will depend on the saltiness of the bacon.

Pour into two serving bowls. Drizzle each with half of the olive oil, then sprinkle parsley on top. Serve immediately. Caldo verde cearense is traditionally served with corn bread.

RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take One (Caldo Verde Tradicional)

One of Portugal's most well-known traditional dishes is a hearty, rich and warming soup called caldo verde, which simply means green soup. On a cold, damp day on Portugal's windswept Atlantic shore, or in one of its charming mountain villages, a large bowl of caldo verde accompanied by thick slices cut from a rustic loaf of bread fills the body and sustains the soul like nothing else.

The green in caldo verdo comes from kale, a member of the cabbage family. Kale's leaves, dark green sometimes tinged with purple, can be curly or flat, but unlike many varieties of cabbage don't form a head. According to many sources of nutritional information kale has good claim to being the world's most nutritious food - low in calories, with no fat, and packed full of vitamins, calcium and chemicals with powerful antioxidant properties. Caldo verdo combines kale with potatoes, onions, garlic and chunks of the typical Portuguese sausage chouriço in a rich broth.

Caldo verde is well-known in Brazil, particularly in those parts of the country in which a large segment of the population has Portuguese ancestry, and where winter temperatures can be chilly if not downright cold. For example, one is likely to encounter caldo verde in the mountainous interior state of Minas Gerais, or in the higher elevations of Santa Catarina or Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil's south.

Now (the month of June) is a perfect time for Flavors of Brazil to publish a caldo verde recipe for its readers in Brazil, if not for North American or European readers who may be sweltering in a summer heat wave. This is the coldest time of the year in Brazil, and this morning's national TV news was full of stories of the cold snap which has hit the south of the country in recent days. In Santa Catarina minimum overnight temperatures reached -4C (about 24F) and even in relative temperate São Paulo the thermometer reached 2C (35F). Perfect weather for a steaming bowl of caldo verde.
_________________________________________________
RECIPE - Caldo Verde, Take One (Caldo Verde Tradicional)
 Serves 2

1/2 lb (250 gr) kale, washed and cut into thin strips
4 cups (1 liter) water
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb (250 gr) Portuguese chouriço or other garlic sausage, thinly sliced
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Put the chopped potatoes, onion and garlic in a large saucepan or stockpot and cover with 4 cups (1 liter) water. Bring to the boil rapidly, then reduce heat and cook until the vegetables are very tender and the potatoes begin to fall apart. Remove from the heat and reserve, keeping warm.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan bring a good quantity of water to the boil, then add the strips of kale. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the kale develops a bright green color. Immediately drain into a colander or sieve then plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process and set the color.

Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, coarsely mash the potatoes and onion in the broth until it is thickened. Do not overmash - you do not want a completely homogenized mixture. Return it to the stove, and bring once more to a low boil. Add the kale, the sausage and one Tbsp of the olive oil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, divide between two large soup bowls, drizzle the remaining Tbsp of olive oil over and serve immediately accompanied by crusty rustic bread and a green salad if desired.

RECIPE - Rooster's Head (Cabeça do Galo)

No, this isn't a recipe for a real rooster's head, we promise! There are no beaks, eyes or combs anywhere in the ingredient list, and this is not one of those strange-verging-on-disgusting ethnic foods that are the mainstay of TV shows such as Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, or Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods. The Brazilian dish cabeça do galo can be translated into English as rooster's head, but there isn't a gram of animal meat in it.

Cabeça do galo is rather a  thick and nourishing manioc flour (farinha) soup, made richer with the addition of whole eggs. It is known in Brazil as a restorative food, as soups everywhere are known , but it's particular claim to fame is as a hangover cure. In most cultures where drinking alcohol is encouraged, permitted or even just tolerated there are foods that are thought to alleviate the pain of excess alcohol consumption if not to cure it. University students in the USA often swear by left-over pizza, and McDonald's Egg McMuffins are touted as a wonder cure by many. Mexican indulge in a tripe stew called menudo in the attempt to clear their head, while the Dutch tip their heads back to swallow raw baby herring covered in onions. In Brazil, after a night of too many caipirinhas, or too much cerveja, the way to get back on the road to sobriety is with a bowl of cabeça do galo.

The thing about cabeça do galo, though, is that it isn't only suitable for curing hangovers (unlike day-old congealed pizza slices, or Egg McMuffins). It's a perfect main-course soup for a cool evening, accompanied by a green salad. Satisfying without being overly rich, it hits the spot.

For this recipe you'll need manioc flour, called farinha in Portuguese. In most metropolitan areas, and in areas with a significant Latin American population, you can find it in Brazilian or Latin markets. Look for the name farinha de mandioca on the bag.
__________________________________________________
RECIPE - Rooster's Head (Cabeça do Galo)
Serves 4

5 Tbsp. neutral vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
salt and black pepper to taste
4 cups (1 liter) boiling water
1 Tbsp. powdered annatto (sweet paprika can be substituted)
3 large whole eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (125 ml) manioc flour (farinha de mandioca)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
a few whole cilantro leaves for garnish
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
En a large saucepan, heat the oil then add the onion. Cook until the onion just begins to brown, then add the garlic, chopped tomato and and green pepper and cook, stirring regularly, for five more minutes. Season for salt, then add the black pepper to taste, the annatto or paprika  and the cilantro while continuing to stir. Finally, stir in the beaten eggs.

Remove the pan from the heat, then immediately pour the boiling water over the ingredients. Stirring constantly, add the manioc flour in a thin steady stream. When the manioc flour has been thorough mixed in, return the pan to the heat for about 5 minutes, or until it just begins to boil.

Serve immediately in deep bowls, decorated with a few whole cilantro leaves.


Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brazileira 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.
_____________________________________________________
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
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Canja - Brazil's Cure-all Chicken Soup

What culture doesn't prescribe curative properties to hot chicken soup (preferably prepared lovingly by mother - jewish or not)? My guess is most likely only those cultures that have no culinary contact with poultry at all - like traditional Inuit. Otherwise, it seems to be a universal truism that when one is run-down, suffering from a cold or the flu, or even just a bit downhearted, a bowl of chicken soup is just the ticket for a quick recovery.

Brazil is not exception to this rule, and when a Brazilian child needs a restorative broth to get him or her out of bed and back to school and play Mamãe (Mommy) will make a homemade chicken soup with rice called canja. Made from a whole chicken, some vegetables and white rice, canja is enjoyed by practically everyone in Brazil, sick or not, and if there is soup on the menu, one of the choices is almost always canja.

The recipe for canja, and its name, came to Brazil from Portugal, where canja is also a universal remedy. But neither the basic idea or the name originated in Portugal - they arrived there from Asian shores during the early days of Portuguese exploration of the Far East. In fact, the name canja probably comes from the Malay word kenge or kenji, meaning hot and salty broth. The Malay word travelled back to Portugal on board Portuguese caravels returning from Malacca, and also travelled in the other direction to China where it became congee.

Although scientists have yet to firmly establish the specific restorative properties of chicken soup, at the very minimum it is a strong example of the placebo effect, and there is some anecdotal evidence that it actually does promote healing. Interestingly, in Portuguese and Brazilian folk culture, canja is prescribed as a treatment for both constipation and diarrhea. And also for coughs, colds and influenza, just like everywhere else.

The next post on Flavors of Brazil will include a typical recipe for Brazilian canja.

RECIPE - Cream of Hearts of Palm Soup

Although hearts of palm (palmito) are usually seen on a salad plate or buffet table, the subtle woodsy flavor of this tropical vegetable translates beautifully into more complex dishes, such as this recipe for a cream soup, which has been translated and adapted from the recipe collection of Brazil's popular daytime TV show Mais Você. 

_________________________________________________
RECIPE - Cream of Heart of Palm Soup
Serves 6

1 large can or jar hearts of palm, preserved
6 cups light chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, sliced
salt and white pepper to taste
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Drain the hearts of palm, then slice into thin rounds. Reserve. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan, and lightly saute the sliced onion until golden.  Remove the onion, and add the broth. Bring to boil over moderate heat, then reduce heat to simmer. Whisk the cornstarch into cold milk until dissolved, and then slowly pour the mixture into the hot broth. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Continue to cook, continually stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly. Add the slices of hearts of palm and remove from heat. Off heat, stir in the grated cheese and serve immediately. (If a thicker soup is desired, the quantity of cornstarch may be increased slightly, up to 2 Tbsp.)

RECIPE - Bean Soup (Caldinho de Feijão)

This recipe for a simple and delicious bean soup is typical of the caldo sold by beach vendors throughout Brazil. They carry the hot soup in thermos jars as they walk along the miles of sand looking for hungry customers. This soup can be made with almost any type of dried bean, and in Brazil, regional differences will dictate which bean is most commonly used. In Rio de Janeiro and neighboring states, the black bean is most common. In Brazil's northeast they use pinto beans or kidney beans. Any will make a delicious soup - great to serve on a tropical beach, but equally satisfying when the temperature is below zero and the snow is blowing.

_________________________________________________________
  Bean Soup (Caldinho de Feijão)

2 cups dried beans (see above about types of beans)
8 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 thick slice bacon
1 6-8" linguiça or kielbasa sausage (optional)
1 med. onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro and green onion to garnish
------------------------------------------------------------
Either soak beans overnight in cold water, or use quick-boil method* to soften. Put beans in heavy, medium-sized saucepan with water, bay leaves, bacon and optional sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beans are very tender, 40 minutes to one hour. Let mixture cool in saucepan.

If using sausage, remove from bean mixture, slice thinly, and reserve. Remove bacon from bean mixture, chop into small pieces and reserve.

Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan, add bacon and fry over medium heat until bacon renders most of its fat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add all to the bean mixture in saucepan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Return saucepan to heat, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool for 15 minutes, then carefully blend mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to heat to bring to serving temperature.

If using sausage, place a few slices in the bottom of a cup, then pour bean soup over. Otherwise, serve the soup in cups, garnished with the chopped green onions and/or cilantro. You may also add additional garnishes such as chopped hard-boiled egg or Mexican style pico de gallo.

*Place beans in heavy, medium-sized saucepan, and add cold water to cover by one inch. Over medium-high heat, bring beans to a brisk boil, let boil for one minute, then remove from heat. Cover the pan and let beans soften for one hour. Drain prior to beginning recipe.

Hot Soup on a Hot Beach

If there ever was an example of unfettered capitalism in operation, a typical beach in Brazil might be it. On any beach along the 4654 miles (7491 kms.) of Brazil's coastline those enjoying the sun and surf will be offered the opportunity to purchase an extraordinary variety of goods - foods, drinks (alcoholic and non-), sunglasses, swimsuits, beach towels, folk art, tattoos, kites and balloons, lottery tickets, and jewellry, among others. Fortunately, Brazilian beach vendors are seldom agressive in their sales pitches, and a simple "no, thanks" (não, obrigado in Portuguese) is enough to convince a vendor to move on. However, sometimes they do offer tremendous bargains in clothes and art, and often the food and drink is excellent. When purchasing food at the beach, a bit of common sense in necessary when considering hygiene and food safety - for example, I don't recommend purchasing cooked shrimp or crab which might have been in the hot sun, unrefrigerated, for a long time. However, other foods are perfectly safe to order and eat.

One of the most typical offerings of beach vendors in Brazil is something that would seem not to be appropriate for a hot day in the sun on the beach - soup (caldo or caldinho in Portuguese). Surprisingly though, it is often exactly what is needed. It's not heavy, not too much, yet it sustains and reduces those stomach growls which indicate hunger. Vendors usually bring the soup in the thermos jar, so it's very hot. They serve it in a plastic cup, and garnish each serving individually. It's satisfying, and very cheap - prices range from one to three reais, which is approximately $0.50 to $1.50 per serving.

The most commonly sold soups at the beach are fish, seafood or bean. The seafood is a natural companion to beach life, and bean soup is Brazilian comfort food at its most basic. The vast majority of Brazilians of all economic levels eat some form of dried beans every day (as they do rice). So a nice cup of bean soup at the beach makes gastronomic sense to Brazilians, and should you try it, will do the same for you.

Recipes for some of the typical caldos will follow in future posts.