As the world turns its attention to the host country of the Olympic Games, I’m reminded of a trip I took to Brazil 20 years ago with my friend, chef and cookbook author Christopher Idone. He was so enamored of Brazilian food that he wrote a wonderful cookbook, “Brazil: A Cook’s Tour” (Clarkson Potter), for which I was the editor.
We traveled through Sao Paulo, Rio and Bahia, and all the recipes over which we had pored on manuscript pages were suddenly there in real life, 3-D, red with dende oil, crunchy with manioc flour, aromatic with coconut milk. There were rich Feijoadas, creamy Tutu a Mineira, hot and cheesy Pao de Queijo.
Brazil’s combination of Indian, African and European (mainly Portuguese) cultures is visible in the ingredients, techniques and dishes of the country. In more recent years, an influx of Japanese, Lebanese, North American, Chinese and other immigrants has continued to enrich the culture and food with new influences.
One of my favorite dishes was Camaroes com Palmito, or Casserole of Shrimp and Hearts of Palm, which we encountered in Rio de Janeiro. Two of the most appealing foods ever are nestled together in a tomato-tinged, brothy, one-pot dish, fragrant with scallions, cilantro and parsley.
Christopher and I continued to cook and eat together after our trip to Brazil. He died just months ago, having introduced a whole lot of people to a whole lot of cuisines, including Brazilian.
This recipe is adapted from his classic book, and I can’t think of a better meal to tuck into during the opening ceremony.
CASSEROLE OF SHRIMP AND HEARTS OF PALM
(CAMAROES COM PALMITO)
Start to finish: One hour
Servings: 8
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
10 large ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped (juices reserved)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
4 scallions, white and most of the green, trimmed and chopped, divided
2 pounds extra-large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 (14-ounce) cans hearts of palm, drained and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Hot cooked white rice to serve (about 6 cups)
Nutrition information per serving: 362 calories; 80 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 143 mg cholesterol; 1012 mg sodium; 47 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 22 g protein.
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