Bring the flavors of Brazil to your table with these authentic and classic Brazilian recipes!

 

Fried Chicken Pastries (Pastel de Frango Com Catupiry)

Serves 8–10 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20–25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cachaca
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3¼ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (divided)
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 1¾ teaspoons salt (divided)
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1½ cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• ½ cup fresh or frozen corn
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• 1 scallion, chopped
• ¼ pound requeijao cheese

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the 3¼ cups flour, shortening, cachaca, vinegar, egg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 10 tablespoons of warm water.
2. Knead the mixture into a flaky dough. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
4. Add the onion; stir-cook for 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent.
5. Add the garlic and stir cook for 1 minute until brown and fragrant.
6. Mix in the shredded chicken, tomato paste, and paprika.
7. Add 1 tablespoon of flour; stir-cook for 1–2 minutes.
8. Mix in the corn and broth; stir-cook to thicken the mixture.
9. Season with black pepper and remaining salt.
10. Stir in the parsley, cheese, and scallions. Let cool.
11. Roll the dough over a floured surface into a ¼-inch-thick square. Set aside for 5–10 minutes.
12. Cut into 7-inch squares; add 2 tablespoons of prepared mixture to each square.
13. Fold the edges half-diagonally and press them to create a seal.
14. In a frying pan, heat 2 cups of oil.
15. Add the sealed pastries in batches. Fry for 2–3 minutes per side to an evenly golden brown.
16. Drain over paper towels and serve.

 

Brazilian BBQ (Churrasco)

Serves 4 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• 1½ pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Season the steak with black pepper and salt.
2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the steak; stir-cook for 2–3 minutes to evenly brown. Set aside to cool down.
4. Melt the butter in the same pan.
5. Add the garlic; stir-cook for 3–4 minutes until fragrant. Add some salt to taste.
6. Slice the steak and add the garlic butter on top.
7. Serve topped with some parsley.

 

Farofa with Fried Bacon (Farofa)

Serves 4 | Prep. time 5 minutes | Cooking time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon, finely diced
• 2 cups toasted manioc flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the bacon; stir-cook until crisp and brown.
3. Remove from heat and add the flour. Combine well until the flour absorbs the oil.
4. Serve warm.

 

Shrimp Bobo (Bobo de Camarao)

Serves 8 | Prep. time 10 minutes | Cooking time 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

Cream

• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 pounds onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 pounds firm, ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 pounds manioc/cassava/yucca root, peeled, boiled, and mashed
• 1 quart coconut milk
• 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Shrimp

• 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 pounds medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 1 quart coconut milk
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dende (palm) oil

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the manioc, tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and cilantro.
3. Mix in the coconut milk; stir-cook for 10–12 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Rinse and drain the shrimp.
6. Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan or cooking pot over medium heat.
7. Add the shrimp, salt, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, and green pepper; stir-cook for 1–2 minutes.
8. Add the coconut milk and stir-cook for 4–5 more minutes.
9. Mix in the manioc mixture and stir-cook for 4–5 more minutes.
10. Mix in the dende oil.
11. Serve topped with some cilantro.

 

Chocolate Truffles (Brigadeiros)

Serves 2–4 | Prep. time 15–20 minutes | Cooking time 10–15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup chocolate sprinkles
• Butter, melted, to grease

Directions

1. Grease a serving plate with some butter.
2. Add the cocoa powder, milk, and butter to a saucepan.
3. Combine and stir-cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture to a serving plate and let cool.
5. Add the chocolate sprinkles to a bowl.
6. Grease your hands with some butter and prepare small balls from the cocoa mixture.
7. Roll them one by one in the bowl to cover with the sprinkles.
8. Serve.

 

 

**These recipes and more can be found in A Taste of Brazil: Traditional Brazilian Cooking Made Easy with Authentic Brazilian Recipes. To get your own copy, click on the cover or click here.

To print or download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.