Pirao Recipes

MOQUECA COM PIRAO (BRAZILIAN SHRIMP STEW)

Steps:

• Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes in oil, in a clay pan if possible (http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/15240632.jpg). When onions are golden-about 15 minutes-add deveined and cleaned shrimp, and wait until it gets "red"-about 15 more minutes. About 5 minutes after you added the shrimp, add coconut milk and paprika. Before serving, mix in cilantro and chives.
• Pirao: 700ml water; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt; pepper & salt to taste; reserved shrimp shells; dash of colorau *; 1 cup manioc flour. In a pan with lid, boil all the ingredients for about 15 minutes. Drain. Put liquid back in pan; when it boils turn to a simmer. SLOWLY add manioc flour, stirring constantly (as for polenta). It is ready when it starts thickening. (It doesn't harden, but turns kinda gooey.).
• * We actually use "colorau" (made mainly from "urucum" seeds); instead of paprika, a better substitute in my view is annatto seeds (http://www.overmundo.com.br/overblog/nosso-colorau-o-urucum). Saute annatto seeds in the dende oil, being VERY careful not to bun them; remove seeds and use the oil.

MUQUECA WITH PIRAO

Steps:

• Prepare the stock and coconut milk a day or two ahead.
• Coat a large nonreactive (such as glass or enamel) saute pan with a half cup of the olive oil and place over medium-high heat.
• Saute the garlic in the oil just until golden, about four or five minutes. Add the onions and cook just until wilted, stirring frequently, about five or six minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, parsley and seasonings. Heat thoroughly and add one cup of fish stock and four cups prepared coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool and reserve. (This can be prepared a day ahead.)
• Salt and pepper the shrimp and refrigerate.
• Cut the fish fillets, checking for stray bones, into one-and-a-half-inch cubes, salt and pepper the cubes and refrigerate.
• Over medium heat, bring eight cups of fish stock to a simmer.
• Add the fish heads and trimmings to the stock, simmer for 15 minutes, strain and reserve the heads and keep the stock warm.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a nonreactive saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute briefly, until they are pink. Remove and reserve the shrimp.
• Add the fish cubes and saute them until they are golden but not thoroughly cooked. Remove and reserve with the shrimp.
• Deglaze the pan with a half cup of the warm fish stock and add the reserved coconut-fish stock mixture and bring to a simmer and keep warm over very low heat.
• To make the pirao, pick away the cheeks and excess meat from the heads and trimmings. Combine one cup of the fish meat with about a quarter cup of fish stock and puree in a food processor or electric blender.
• In a medium-sized heat-proof bowl, add the manioc flour and whisk in the heated stock a little at a time until it is the consistency of farina.
• Whisk in the fish puree, one tablespoon of dende oil and one teaspoon of pimente oil, or to taste.
• Cover and keep warm over a pan of simmering water while you finish cooking the fish.
• Raise the heat and bring the coconut-fish mixture to a simmer. Add the shrimp, cubed fish and their juices and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining two tablespoons of dende and one teaspoon of pimente oil. Transfer to a heated soup tureen or wide shallow soup plates and accompany with the pirao, slaw and boiled rice. Usually the shrimp are served in their shells and the shells eaten. If they are to be peeled - then they should be peeled just before reheating in the coconut-fish stock mixture.

PIRãO

Steps:

• Assemble your ingredients together.
• In a saucepot over high heat, bring the broth to a rapid boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-high. Whisk in the tomato sauce until completely incorporated.
• Vigorously stir or whisk in the manioc flour a little at a time until all the flour has been incorporated and the consistency is that of soft-serve ice cream or wet polenta.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve the pirão right away with your fish, meat, or vegetable stew.

PITA BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup; stir gently to mix. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Stir the olive oil into the yeast mixture. Sift together the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture. Stir together until a wet dough forms.
• Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough is smooth and bounces back when pressed, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a large ball.
• Oil another large bowl and add the dough, turning to coat. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Set a pizza stone or pizza steel on a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 475˚ F. Form the pita: Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a log, about 8 inches long; cut the log crosswise into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Cover with a clean towel and let rest 15 minutes. Roll out each dough ball to a scant 1/4-inch thickness, 6 to 7 inches in diameter.
• Brush off any excess flour from the dough rounds. Place the rounds on the hot pizza stone, 2 at a time, keeping the remaining rounds covered with the towel. Bake until puffed and slightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes if using a pizza stone or 3 to 4 minutes if using a pizza steel. Remove from the oven; stack the pitas and wrap in a clean, dry towel so that they remain soft while you make the rest.

PIRAO

Steps:

• Bring liquid to a boil in a saucepan. Sprinkle in 1 cup of farinha, stirring constantly over medium heat until it has the consistency of cooked cereal. Add more farinha as needed to reach desired thickness.

PIRAO (MANIOC POLENTA)

Steps:

• Bring the fish broth to a rapid boil, and stir in a little salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste, and stir to incorporate thoroughly. Sprinkle in the manioc flour, a little at a time, stirring vigorously and continuously until all the flour has been incorporated and the mixture has the consistency of soft ice cream. Serve immediately; like polenta, pirao gets stiffer the longer it sits.