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 - Palm-Heart Moqueca (Moqueca de Palmito)

We mentioned in our last post that an authoritative Brazilian dictionary tells us that a moqueca can be made from fish, seafood, meat or eggs, plus other ingredients. In traditional Brazilian cooking that's probably true, but in today's culinary environment in Brazil traditional cooking styles and ancient dishes are being reinvented on a daily basis.

Although Brazilians are generally a carnivorous bunch, there are an increasing number of vegetarians in this country, and inventive chefs and clever restaurant managers are beginning to cater to them. When adapting traditional dishes like moquecas the trick is to find a central or identifying ingredient to substitute for the fish or meat that is found in the traditional dish. One excellent substitution for these animal proteins is palm hearts (aka hearts-of-palm). They have the advantage of still being distinctly Brazilian and their solid consistency gives them the substantiality and consistency of the missing meat or fish. This recipe comes from a Brazilian website of Seventh-Day Adventist recipes.

In Brazil, as elsewhere, most palm hearts are preserved in a light brine solution and canned or bottled. This recipe calls for these palm hearts - you do not have to search out fresh ones. The cans or jars can easily be found in most North American and European supermarkets, or certainly in gourmet grocery stores.
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RECIPE - Palm-Heart Moqueca (Moqueca de Palmito)
Serves 4

1 lb (500 gr) drained palm hearts
2 medium onions
2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) dendê oil
1 small green bell pepper
1 small red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves and small stems only, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded
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Cut the palm hearts into thick slices, about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick. Slice the onions, the bell peppers and the peeled tomatoes.

In a saucepan or large frying pan layer alternatively the palm hearts, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Drizzle a bit of dendê oil over each layer as you work. Sprinkle the top layer with salt, the chopped garlic and the chopped cilantro. Pour the coconut milk evenly over all.

Put the pan on a large stove-top heating element and gently bring it to a simmer. Do not let it boil vigorously. Cook until all the vegetables are softened and the sauce has thickened slightly.

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. 

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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
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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.)

Heart Of Palm - The Palmito Avoids Extinction (We Hope)

In Brazil, as well as in Europe and North America, hearts of palm (palmito in Portuguese) have long been considered a gourmet delicacy. The flavour of these buds of a number of species of palm trees is subtle, yet distinctive. Hearts of palm are not conducive to transport or storage in a fresh state, and so are universally available only in tins or jars, preserved in a simple brine. They are most commonly served both here in Brazil and abroad as a stand-alone appetizer, drizzled with olive oil, or as part of a salad plate or buffet table.

Hearts of palm have always been an expensive treat, and still are so today. If you live in Europe or North America, transportation is part of that cost, as palm trees only grow in tropical environments. However, the main reason for the expense of hearts of palm is that in order to harvest the bud of the palm tree ("hearts" of palm are in fact buds of palm) the entire tree must be sacrificed. The bud is the growing tip of the tree, and once it is removed, there is no way for the tree to continue to grow. Hearts of palm are harvested from young trees, but it still takes a number of years for a tree to reach maturity. There is no annual harvest when it comes to palm trees.

There are a number of species of palm from which hearts of palm can be harvested. Until the 1990s, the most common species used in commercial production was the içara palm (Euterpe edulis), which grows all along Brazil's southern coastline. However, over-harvesting and poaching of this plant resulted in its becoming endangered, and extinction of the species was a possibility.

Fortunately, most production of hearts of palm in Brazil and in other tropical countries like Costa Rica and Ecuador has switched to other species, notably pupunha and açaí palms. These species are easier to cultivate, and quicker-growing, and thus are not endangered by properly considered harvesting schemes. Interestingly, the açaí palm is the same tree from which the increasingly popular açaí fruit is harvested, thus allowing the cultivation of two distinct food products from one plant. Because of this switch, the içara palm is no longer in danger of exinction, though it does remain endangered, according to it's listing by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). As a long-time lover of hearts of palm, it's "heartening" to know that I can eat this delicacy without a guilty conscience.