Oxtail and Watercress with Black Pudding Polenta

So I met back with my guide in Salvador, William. I have enjoyed uncovering another aspect to street food and tasting such ancient recipes rooted with religious influence. William asked me how adventurous I was with my street food. A bit wry, I accept, and I'm taken to another street food speciality of Salvador, the passarinha. Jussara is known to have one of the best stalls in town and is especially famous for her passarinha, which is beef spleen and entrails. William tells me that Jussara works on her mother's stall and has a lot to live up to as her mum is one of Salvador's queens of Candomble food. The stall has been in their family for 60 years, and their food regularly gets voted as best in the town. The process is really long because you need to take all the skin off the entrails, marinate the meat, season it and fry it in palm oil. 

Beef Spleen.

Jussara's passarinha.

Jussara & I

This was my first time trying beef spleen, and I am hooked! And it's the use of offal that got me excited for this new dish. 

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My Oxtail and Watercress with Black Pudding Polenta 

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• 2kg oxtail, cut into thick slices
• 250ml red wine
• 500ml beef stock
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large bunches watercress, roughly chopped
• Small bunch chives, finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and finely chopped

FOR THE GARNISH:

• 600ml chicken stock
• 150g quick-cook polenta
• 50g unsalted butter
• 50ml double cream
• 200g morcilla or black pudding, cut into 1cm cubes

METHOD

Purée the onion and garlic in a food processor with a dash of olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Tip into a bowl with the oxtail and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy-based casserole over medium-high heat. Drain the oxtail, reserving the marinade, and wipe off any excess. Fry the oxtail in batches until golden brown all over then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Deglaze the pan with the wine then add the stock, tinned tomatoes, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce and reserved marinade. Bring to the boil and return the oxtail to the pan then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 3 hours until tender, topping up with a little more stock during cooking if necessary.

Carefully remove the oxtail from the pan with a slotted spoon then increase the heat and reduce the sauce for a few minutes until thickened. Add the watercress then return the oxtail to the pan. Reheat gently then season to taste.

Meanwhile make the polenta. Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan then quickly whisk in the polenta (make sure you whisk continuously to prevent the polenta from turning lumpy). Turn the heat down and keep whisking for 2 minutes or until the polenta has thickened and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat, stir through the butter, cream and morcilla and season to taste.

Serve the oxtail with the polenta and garnish with chopped chives and tomato concasse.

Duck Feijoada

I met Marlene Cruz, considered royalty at the Portela Samba School in Rio de Janeiro. She was the first queen of the school in the 1950's, and her speciality dish is feijoada that has been a favourite with the dancers at the school for years. She's got an incredible 60 carnivals under her belt.  

Marlene makes her feijoada monthly, and it includes 8kg of beans, ten kinds of meat served with kale, farofa, rice and oranges. It's a long process to make, her family all come together and start making it five days before the event, they cook together, drink beer and dance the samba. I like the sound of this dish.

Marlene invited me to her stall to try her legendary Feijoada. The taste is rich and very strong in taste. Over the many days of cooking, a big meaty stock with an earthy bean flavour has developed. Salty and smokey and being the heartiest of stews I have ever tasted. Served with kale and oranges, the latter making ease for digestion.

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My Duck Feijoada 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g black beans
• 350g smoked pork belly sliced into large slices
• 2 confit duck legs (from a jar)
• 250g smoked sausage
• 250g good quality pork sausages
• 250g smoked bacon lardons
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• Small bunch parsley, finely chopped
• Buttered kale
• 2 oranges, peeled and sliced

METHOD

Put the beans and pork belly into two separate bowls, cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse the beans and set aside. Drain the pork belly and pat dry on kitchen paper.

Heat a large, heavy-based casserole over a high heat and add a spoonful of the duck fat from the jar. Fry the pork belly for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and fry the remaining meat, in batches, until golden brown.

Cut the sausages into chunky slices. Add a little more fat to the pan then add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise. Add the garlic and bay leaves and fry for a further 2 minutes.

Add the beans, cover with boiling water and simmer for 45 minutes until the beans start to soften. Add the browned meat and duck, cover and cook for 1 hour until the beans are soft and the duck meat is falling off the bone.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve with the orange slices and some buttered kale.

Tacaca (Hot and Sour Soup)

My quest to find the best of Brazil's street food has brought me to the largest city in the state of Amazonas, Manaus. Manaus was in incredible place - an urban metropolis in the middle of a tropical jungle, that is now home to over two million people. It may be a modern city, but when it comes to the food, it retains a strong Amazonian flavour. This is where I met up with Alice Souza, a born and bred Manaus resident and an expert on the local cuisine. Alice is passionate about her hometown and it's home grown ingredients. And she knows where to find all the best street food and the many stories that go along with the recipes. I asked Alice... What is the local dish that best describes home to her? And she told me that every time she comes back from a holiday she needs to have a bowl of Tacaca, it's the only dish that makes her feel at home. Alice took me to met Rosa Melo who took over the running of Tacaca de Gisela in 2004. Her soup has gained national recognition and was awarded the best in town. So what exactly is Tacaca? Alice explains that it is the ultimate indigenous legacy in Brazil. It is a shrimp soup that has a very sharp, distinctive flavour, which you apparently either love or hate... and it was exactly that ;) 

I asked Rosa says that people always try to guess the secret to her seasoning but she says you need to love what you do... and leave the rest to the experts! She produces over 400 litres of soup a week and has had to build an industrial kitchen a few metres away to meet the demand. The soup is served in bowls called cuias. They are made from the skin of the cuiera fruit and served with amazonian chicory. And when I asked for a spoon, I was told you can't eat or drink it, but rather you have to sip it (regardless of the weather) and then use a little wooden stick to eat the chicory and shrimps. And apparently, the amazonian chicory makes your mouth or lips numb. 

Well, I am not going to be able to make anything that is quite like this, but I have got a dish that is kind of up the same street. 

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INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

• 150 grams minced pork
• 150 grams raw tiger prawns, deveined and finely chopped
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 24 wonton wrappers

FOR THE SOUP:

• 1.5 litres fresh chicken stock
• 2 red chillies, finely sliced
• Thumb-sized piece root ginger, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, bashed
• 150 grams fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon cornflour, mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
• 6 spring onions, finely sliced
• Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• Juice of 2 to 3 limes
• Light soy sauce

Salt Cod and Potatoes

In the streets of Manaus, Raphael took me to the Eduardo Ribeiro Fair and what a huge variety of local and unusual fish there was. Raphael took me to meet Wigson, who serves a really tasty street food dish made from the biggest freshwater fish in the world. Pirarucu, which is the Amazonian cod and can reach to six feet long and weigh up to 200 kilos. Wigson creates a street food dish called pirarucu com casaca that translates to 'cod in a coat'. The cod is salted and served with fried plantains, potatoes, eggs, onions, peppers, parsley, cassava flour, sweet potatoes and coconut milk. The salt cod is left to soak in water for several days to get all the salt off, and then is cooked and put on an oven tray as a base. All other ingredients are sprinkled on top, mixed and baked. Wigson sells around 50 portions a day. 

Wigson then tells me that the best bit of the fish to eat is the tongue. It is said to have medicinal qualities; when dried and combined with guarana bark, which is grated and mixed with water. It is given to kill intestinal worms, YUM ;)

It's the use of salted fish in that dish that intrigues me, and I'll be using that method in my very own dish.

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My salt cod and potatoes 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g salt cod
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 litre milk
• 2 litres chicken stock
• 500 grams medium-sized waxy potatoes
• Olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 150g pitted good quality green olives
• Small handful capers
• 3 roasted red peppers (from a jar), sliced 1cm thick
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 3 soft boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• Small bunch parsley, chopped

METHOD

Rinse the salt cod under running water for 10 minutes then place in a container and cover with cold water. Leave to soak overnight, changing the water 2 to 3 times throughout soaking.

The next day, drain the cod, place it in a saucepan with the bay leaf and cover with the milk. Bring to the boil, cook for 2 to 3 minutes then remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 hour.

Drain and discard the bay leaf and flake the cod, discarding any bones. Meanwhile bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large pan, add the potatoes and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until just soft.

Amazonian Cod. 

Drain and leave to cool then peel and cut into 1cm thick slices. Preheat the oven to 200Cor 400F. Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan, add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the potatoes and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Add the red peppers, capers, olives then remove from the heat and carefully stir through the cod. Season to taste then spoon into a large baking dish.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes then remove from the oven and serve topped with the soft boiled eggs and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Mango Tarte Tatin with Coconut & Peanut Brittle

Salvador! The biggest and busiest city in the northeast of Brazil, Salvador is known for its architecture, history, music and mind-blowing gastronomy. The locals pride themselves on using regional produce and there's a huge variety of natural products to choose. I met Mariana, who's got a huge knowledge of the local produce, but she is actually from the south of Brazil. She says that when she arrived in Salvador, they introduced her to a completely different world. Where the variety of fresh produce is almost overwhelming, from palm oil to green tomatoes, there is a lot more choices. The variety of local products together with a strong African influence makes the food of Bahia utterly special. One of the ever present products is coconut and the Bahia state is the biggest consumer of coconut in all of Brazil. I was then taken to try Cocada - A sweet coconut snack made with condensed milk. The Brazilians like their treats sweet and everyone seems to have a sweet tooth!

The coconut and it's flavours have inspired this dessert and with the abundance of mango juice in Brasil I just had to incorporate their flavour into this dish. The crunchiness of the brittle works well with the soft mango and giving a real tropical kick to it too.

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My Mango Tarte Tatin with coconut and peanut brittle 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE COCONUT BRITTLE:

• 150g caster sugar
• 50g salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 25g dessicated coconut

FOR THE MANGO TARTE TATIN:

• 150g caster sugar
• 50g unsalted butter
• 2 mangos, peeled and cut into thick wedges
• 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper or a silicone sheet. Pour the sugar into a heavy-based, non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat. Gently tilt and swirl the pan (do not stir) until the sugar has melted and turns a deep caramel colour.

Add the peanuts and coconut and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the lined tray and leave to cool. When cool, break into shards and set aside.

For the mango tart, unroll the pastry and cut out a circle the same diameter as the pan you’re going to use. Heat the sugar and butter in a 20cm non-stick frying pan until the sugar has melted and turned a deep caramel colour.

Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Add the mango wedges and shake gently until they start to caramelise. Remove from the heat then lay the pastry over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry in risen and golden. Leave to cool slightly then turn out onto a plate. Serve the mango tart topped with shards of the brittle.

Pineapple, Prawn and Okra Salad

Mariana guides me to a market in Salvador where you can find the best selection of raw ingredients, the Feira de Sao Joaquim. The market takes place every day in Salvador's lower city and was established in 1960. It is the biggest free market in Salvador boasting the best local products coming from all over the state. 

Mariana walks me thru the market and takes me to try a few of the most used ingredients in this region. I tried cashew fruit, the nut is actually above the fruit, you would never believe it was from the same plant. Okra called quiabo in Brazil, is used in some of the most traditional dishes and dried smoked shrimps are an absolute local delicacy. And lastly, palm oil is the base of many Bahian dishes and it is often used to fry or flavour stews, giving them their authentic orange colour.  

Well, there was certainly no shortage of inspiration in the market in Salvador and just being around this fantastic produce has inspired this dish - Pineapple, Prawn & Okra Salad. 

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My Pineapple, Prawn and Okra Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large pineapple
• 100g bulgur wheat
• 200ml hot chicken stock
• olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 125g okra, trimmed
• 125ml dry white wine
• Juice of 1 lime
• Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• Small bunch basil, finely chopped
• Small bunch coriander, chopped
• 150g raw tiger prawns shelled and deveined
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 200C or 400F.

Cut the pineapple in half lengthways, cut out the core and discard. Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving some inside, then cut into small dice and drain off any excess juice.

Put the pineapple halves onto a baking tray, cut side up, and roast for 10 minutes until softened. Meanwhile bring the stock to the boil, pour over the bulgar wheat and cover with clingfilm.

Leave to stand for 15 minutes then remove the cling film and fluff the grains with a fork. While the bulgar wheat is soaking, heat a little olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, garlic and chilli and sweat gently for 5 minutes until soft. Increase the heat, add the okra and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the wine, bring to the boil and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Add the prawns, cook quickly until just pink then remove from the heat.

Stir in the pineapple, bulgar wheat, lime juice and herbs then divide the mixture between the pineapple halves. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place under a hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Leave to cool for a minute before serving.

My Brazilian Brunch

My journey continued to Manaus, the largest amazonian state, where I met my guide, Raphael Lopes. At 23 years old, he is the youngest food hunter of the national food blogging movement. But his young age doesn't stop him being extremely decisive about what he does and doesn't like. He's a serious foodie and a strict critic. Raphael introduces me to Pedro Bezerra, he runs one of the busiest food stalls in Manaus' market and serves up to a whopping 500 Amazonian breakfasts every Sunday!  It includes coffee (of course!), tapioca pancakes filled with different fruits, cassava cake and x-caboquinho - the ultimate Amazonian sandwich with fried plantain, cheese and tucuma fruit (a native palm fruit). Pedro says that he has to stay ahead of the game as there are 28 competitors all located in the small market. The high demand is only a two-hour gap and he has the average preparation time down to 5 minutes and all seven of his team have perfected their specific technique.  He says they run as smoothly as a 'formula one pit stop team' ;) 

I certainly think that the Amazonian breakfast gives the British fry up a run for its money and that a fruity breakfast can be as delicious. I love all the options on the table and different dishes you can eat at once and it's given me a brilliant idea for my own Brazilian brunch. 

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My Brazilian Brunch

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PANCAKES:

• 7 oz (200g) sour manioc starch
• Pinch salt
• 4.4 fl oz (125 ml) water
• 7 oz (200g) gouda cheese, grated
• 8 thin slices air-dried ham

FOR THE GUAVA FRENCH TOAST:

• 1¾ oz (50g) caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.4 pt (250 ml) whole milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 tbsps icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 8 slices day-old brioche loaf
• 5¾ oz (160g) guava paste, thinly sliced
• 3½ oz (100g) curd cheese
• 1¾ oz (50g) unsalted butter

METHOD

For the pancakes pour the flour and salt into a large bowl then gradually sprinkle in the water, mixing with your fingertips as you go.

Rub the water and flour together until the mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs then sieve into a clean bowl.

Heat a small, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mixture.

Use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture into an even layer then cook for 20 to 30 seconds until the pancake easily lifts from the side of the pan.

Turn the pancake, sprinkle over a little cheese and top with a slice of ham. Cook for 30 seconds then slide onto a board and either fold in half or roll up. Repeat with the remaining flour and filling.

For the French toast combine the caster sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. whisk together the milk and eggs. Split the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and whisk into the mixture with the icing sugar.

Spread the curd cheese over half of the brioche slices and top other half with the guava paste and sandwich together.

Dip the brioche sandwiches into the egg mixture, making sure the liquid soaks into the bread. Heat a knob of butter in a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the bread slices for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Transfer to a plate and dust with cinnamon sugar. Serve the pancakes and French toast with a fresh orange juice and black coffee.

Brazilian Beef Brisket & Coffee Pie

Bruno and I roasting coffee

Bruno and I enjoying a cup of his coffee

Minas Gerais is the biggest producer of coffee in Brazil and Brazil handles a third of all the coffee in the world. To put it into perspective, out of every three cups of coffee produced worldwide, one of them is from Brazil. So I wanted to find out more and I was told there's a place where they passionately believe the preparation and consumption of coffee is an art - The Coffee Academy. I hadn't even gone inside yet and there was an amazing aroma of fresh coffee. I met Bruno Souza, the owner of this two-story coffee haven, where he creates, tastes and evaluates everything coffee! Bruno is a fourth generation of a coffee making family, he is a real character and exudes enthusiasm and information. That day, I roasted coffee for the first time.  To joke with Bruno, I asked him how much coffee he drinks through the day and he says that on an average about a litre and a half of brewed coffee and two or three espressos. Could you imagine yourself after that amount of coffee?

Bruno explains to me that coffee is not just for sweet dishes but also for savoury dishes, that was surprising to me. So I left with a bag of Bruno's coffee and used it to inspire me to create my very own savoury dish, CHECK IT OUT! 

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My Brazilian Beef Brisket & Coffee Pie 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 kilograms beef brisket, cut into large chunks
• 75 grams plain flour
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and diced
• 2 dried ancho chillies, soaked in boiling water until soft then roughly chopped
• 400 millilitres dry white wine
• 500 millilitres freshly brewed coffee
• 2 x 400 millilitres cans black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
• Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

FOR THE CASSAVA MASH:

• 1 kilograms cassava, peeled and cut into chunks
• 50 grams unsalted butter
• 50 millilitres double cream
• 100 grams mature cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole. Toss the beef in seasoned flour and fry in batches until golden brown all over.

Add a little more oil to the pan then add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, peppers and ancho chilli and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the wine, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol.

Return the beef to the pan, pour over the coffee and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir through the chopped coriander and season to taste.

Meanwhile, boil the cassava in a large pan of salted boiling water for 20 minutes until soft. Drain thoroughly then mash with the butter and cream.

Spoon half of the mash into the bottom of a heatproof serving dish, top with the beef and spoon the sauce over the top.

Top the beef with the remaining mash, sprinkle with cheese and cook under a hot grill for 5 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

BBQ Pork Skewers with Grilled Cheese

The people of Salvador love their grub on the go and so much that when it comes to Brazil's biggest sporting passion, FOOTBALL! Locals insist that FIFA allow certain dishes into the stadiums; football and street food, for me is a 'match' made in heaven. I was visiting the Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador's Football stadium that holds 50,000 people and the host to many great events such as the 2014 World Cup and then the 2016 Olympics. Fans come in the masses hours before a match to enjoy the street food and outdoor parties. The pre-match atmosphere was simply amazing, and everyone is about enjoying themselves. I was told that the most popular street food is a meat BBQ. Much different than football food of the UK. 

Amongst the madness of the pre-match beers and singing, I queue up, or at least I think is a queue. And eventually get given a large stick of BBQ diced pork and beef dipped in forofa (toasted manioc flour) and a stick of cheese that's been dipped in a molasses sugar cane syrup and grilled. Beats a 'Wembley Burger' any day!

I use the Brazilian grilling technique in this recipe but go for a sweeter finish with a honey and mustard glaze on the pork.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb 5¼ oz (600g) boneless pork leg, cubed
• Juice of 3 limes
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 3 tbsps runny honey
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
• Sea salt flakes
• 2 blocks halloumi cheese

FOR THE SALAD:

• 1 ripe honeydew melon, peeled, deseeded and cubed
• 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• Small bunch mint, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 to 2 limes
• Lime wedges, to serve

METHOD

Tip the pork into a large bowl, cover with the lime juice, garlic, pepper, paprika and oil and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Meanwhile soak the bamboo skewers in a bowl of cold water.

Preheat a barbeque or griddle pan until hot. Combine the honey and mustard in a bowl and set aside. Thread the pork onto the skewers, sprinkle with salt and griddle for 2 to 3 minutes each side, brushing regularly with the honey-mustard glaze. Remove from the grill and set aside to rest. Cut the cheese in half lengthways to make four thick rectangles then thread onto bamboo skewers. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp.

Meanwhile combine the ingredients for the salad and season to taste. Serve the pork skewers with the grilled cheese, melon salad and lime wedges.