RECIPE - Basic Farofa (Farofa Básica)

In yesterday's post about farofa, the Brazilian side dish made from dry manioc flour toasted with the addition of some form of fat, Flavors of Brazil mentioned that the bread-and-butter, everyday recipe for farofa calls for nothing more than dry manioc flour, butter and salt.

When a Brazilian cook is preparing a for-the-family-only weekday mid-day meal, she will almost always include white rice, some form of cooked dried beans, and the following recipe for farofa. If the meal is a weekend or holiday feast, or if there are guests, the farofa will probably be more elaborate with additional flavors added. But to begin at the beginning, here's how to make basic Brazilian farofa.
___________________________________________________
RECIPE - Basic Farofa (Farofa Básica)
Serves 4

3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
farinha (dry manioc flour)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melt the butter in a heavy, preferably cast-iron, frying pan. When it's bubbling hot, add the salt and mix with a wooden or silicon spoon. Continuing to stir, slowly add the manioc flour in a steady stream, stirring all the while to moisten the grains equally. Continue to add flour until you reach the point where the mixture is dry and the grains are separated (see photo above for how the mixture should look). Continue to cook for a minute or two more to heat and toast the mixture, then serve immediately as part of a meal of grilled or roasted meat or fish, along with white rice and beans.