Black Beans (Feijão Preto Simples)

Brazilians love beans. These tiny legumes show up in some form in almost every meal. Brazil grows red, brown, and white beans, but the black bean is by far the most popular. What is it about a perfectly prepared pot of beans with its enticing aroma and comforting fl avor that makes them so popular? Why not try making some and find out for yourself?

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
• 1 pound black, kidney, or white dried beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small red or yellow onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 sprigs cilantro, optional

On your mark, get set . . .

• Pour the beans, a few at a time, onto a clean baking tray or into a wide bowl. Carefully check for anything that is not a bean, such as pebbles, and discard.
• Pour the beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Using your very clean hands, swirl the beans around the colander to remove any dirt.
• Place the beans in a large pot, cover with the water, and let the beans soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• If you don’t have enough time to soak the beans or you just want a quicker method, try this: Place the picked-over and washed beans in a large pot. Add the water and bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the beans off, cover, and let stand for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Cook!

• Rinse the soaked beans, add them to a large pot, and place them on the stove.
• Cover with enough cold water to come to 2 inches over the top of the beans. Add the bay leaf.
• Bring the beans to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 ½ hours, or until the beans are tender.
• As the beans cook use a large spoon to remove any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.
• After 1 hour, remove and taste a few beans to determine their tenderness. They should be just soft without any trace of a hard center.
• Once the beans have cooked, peel and chop the onion into small pieces, measure 4 to 5 tablespoons, and set aside.
• Slightly crush the garlic by laying the fl at side of a chef’s knife on the clove and pressing evenly to break open the skin. Remove the skin, cut off the root end, and chop the garlic. Measure 1 tablespoon and set it aside.
• Place a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat and add the bacon fat or oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft. This will take 4 to 5 minutes. If they begin to brown, immediately lower the heat.
• Using a soup ladle or large spoon, transfer about 1 cup of the beans and a little of the liquid they were cooked in to the frying pan.
• Carefully mash the beans, using the back of the ladle or spoon to create a thick paste.
• Add the mashed bean paste to the large pot of simmering beans. Add the salt and the cilantro leaves, and cook over medium-low heat for another 30 minutes.
• As the beans cook, mash them occasionally to help thicken the liquid. Serve hot.

This Vegetables and Side Dishes recipe was published in 'The Cooking Of Brazil (Seconds Edition) by "Matthew Locricchio" - p54 to p55'

Brazilian Rice (Chaval)

Rice is enjoyed every day in Brazil. It can be as simple or as elaborate as the cook makes it, but it is always a part of a Brazilian meal. This recipe involves a few more steps than ordinary boiled rice, but there is nothing every day about the results.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:
• 1 cup long-grain rice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups hot water

On your mark, get set . . .

• Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water. Skip the next three steps if you are using converted rice.
• Using your very clean hands or a spoon, swirl the rice as it rinses to remove any excess starch.
• Turn off the water and continue to stir the rice a bit more to help it drain. Give the strainer a few shakes to remove any additional water.
• Let the rice continue to drain while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
• Slightly crush the garlic by laying the fl at side of a chef’s knife on the clove and pressing evenly to break open the skin. Remove the skin, cut off the root end, and chop the garlic. Measure ½ tablespoon and set it aside.

Cook!

• In a 9- to 10-inch frying pan heat the oil over medium-high heat for 30 to 40 seconds.
• Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the drained rice and garlic.
• Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes stirring the rice constantly to prevent it from sticking, or until all the rice has soaked up a bit of the oil and turned slightly darker.
• Add the hot water and salt.
• Return to a boil, lower the heat to simmer, cover the pan, and cook for about 18 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let the pan rest, without raising the lid, for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Fluff with a fork and serve.

This Side Dish recipe was published in 'The Cooking Of Brazil (Seconds Edition) by "Matthew Locricchio" - p51 to p52'

Fresh Shrimp and Black Eyed Pea Salad

Salada de Feijão Fradinhocom CamarãoThe cosmopolitan city of São Paulo with its dazzling architecture, vibrant street life, and art museums is also home to some of Brazil’s most exciting cuisine. Restaurants serve the traditional as well as the new cuisine of some of South America’s rising culinary stars. This recipe, usually prepared with dried cod or dried shrimp, is a favorite in São Paulo. This version uses fresh shrimp instead of dried, but the results are just as authentic and the taste is, too.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
• 1 pound fresh large or fully thawed frozen shrimp
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 pound black-eyed peas
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 cup bottled all-natural clam juice
• 1 small red onion
• 1 medium-size red bell pepper
• 8 to 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 5 to 6 large lettuce leaves, romaine or green or red leaf
• 1 lime

On your mark, get set . . .
• Carefully peel the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Discard the shells.

• Remove the vein along the back of the shrimp. To do this, lay the shrimp on a cutting board, then using a paring knife, make a slight cut about ¼ inch deep, starting at the widest end, or the top, of the shrimp. As you cut, you will see a black vein. Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, and pull out and discard the vein. Repeat with the rest of the shrimp.

• Place the shrimp in a large bowl and add ½ teaspoon of the salt and the cold water. Toss the shrimp with a spoon a few times to help dissolve the salt and then refrigerate.

Cook!
• In a medium saucepan, combine the black-eyed peas and enough water to cover them by about 1 inch.

• Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 1 minute.

• Remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let soak for 1 hour.

• Peel the yellow onion, cut in half, and set aside.

• Drain the soaked black-eyed peas and return them to the pan. Add the clam juice and the onion halves and enough fresh water to cover by 1 inch.

• Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the peas are tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

• During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add ½ teaspoon of salt.

• Drain the black-eyed peas and remove the onion halves. Rinse the black-eyed peas under cold running water, drain again, and let cool completely.

• In the meantime, peel the red onion, cut into small chunks, measure ¾ cup, and set aside.

• Wash the bell pepper and cut out the stem at the top.

• Slice the pepper in half and remove the seeds and white membrane.

• Cut the pepper into thin slices, then cut the slices into small squares, measure 1 cup, and set aside.

• Wash the parsley, shaking off any excess water. Remove the stems, roughly chop the leaves, measure ¼ cup, and set aside.

• Slightly crush the garlic by laying the flat side of a chef’s knife on the clove and pressing evenly to break open the skin. Remove the skin and the root end, chop the garlic, and set aside.

• Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and drain well, shaking the colander to remove excess water.

• Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat for 30 to 40 seconds.

• Add the chopped red onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

• Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add the drained shrimp, vinegar, the remaining teaspoon of salt, and the parsley and sauté until the shrimp turn bright pink and are tender and just cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes.

• Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

• Combine the drained peas and sautéed shrimp in a large bowl. Refrigerate until completely cooled.

• Wash the lettuce leaves, shake off the excess water, drain, then pat them dry with a paper towel. Tear the leaves into medium-size pieces.

• Cut the lime into thin slices.

• Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter, then spoon on the chilled shrimp and peas.

• Garnish with fresh lime slices and serve cold.

Chef ’s Tip - Look for clam juice with no additional salt added, other wise omit the salt in the recipe.

This recipe was published in 'The Cooking Of Brazil (Seconds Edition) by "Matthew Locricchio" - p33 to p35'