Speaking at a cooking demonstration held at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Brazilian chef Paulo Machado strikes an imposing figure with his tall frame and full beard. But his eyes twinkle as he talks animatedly about his national cuisine, painting colorful visions of produce and dishes full of history with his stories.
Chef Paulo Machado at his Instituto Paulo Machado in Campo Grande, Brazil.
With the exception of, perhaps, the hugely trendy acai bowls and smoothies, Brazilian food has yet to capture palates around the world the way Peruvian fare has. To be sure though, Brazilian chefs like Alex Atala are slowly but surely making headways in elevating the cuisine by expressing the essence of native ingredients in more sophisticated ways.
From 9 to 15 April, chef Paulo Machado, owner of the Brazilian Food Research and member of the Slow Food Movement, will be showcasing such native ingredients and traditional Brazilian cooking at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. At Town’s dinner buffets, you’ll be able to experience the likes of salada de abobrinha com pimentas Amazonicas, where zucchini is marinated with herbs and perfumed with peppers from the Amazon, and barreado, a typical dish from the south of Brazil, where meat is simmered for 14 hours in a closed clay pot and served with manioc flour and plantains.
From 9 to 15 April, chef Paulo Machado, owner of the Brazilian Food Research and member of the Slow Food Movement, will be showcasing such native ingredients and traditional Brazilian cooking at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. At Town’s dinner buffets, you’ll be able to experience the likes of salada de abobrinha com pimentas Amazonicas, where zucchini is marinated with herbs and perfumed with peppers from the Amazon, and barreado, a typical dish from the south of Brazil, where meat is simmered for 14 hours in a closed clay pot and served with manioc flour and plantains.
Brazilian Vinagrete: Brazilian cuisine is surprisingly light and embraces the natural flavour of its native ingredients.
Here, he shares his recipe for moqueca baiana, a traditional seafood stew from southeast Brazil. It is usually served with rice and pirão, a thick porridge-like sauce made with manioc (yucca) flour and stock. This is one of three dishes he will be demonstrating at his masterclass ($88++ with lunch) on 14 April 2018 which you can sign up for here.
Moqueca Baiana
Brazilian Southeast-Style Fish and Shrimp Stew
Serves 4
Ingredients
Coriander and/or cilantro, finely chopped
Flat leaf parsley and spring onions, finely chopped
Pimenta bodinho or maleguata (hot red chilies), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 kilograms white fish (grouper, monkfish or kingfish)
Juice of 4 green lemons
5 tomatoes, sliced
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 kilograms prawns, peeled
4 white onions, finely chopped
3 capsicums (red, green, yellow), small diced
Colorau de Urucum (sweet paprika powder)
300 grams yucca flour
Salt to taste
Method
1. Marinate the fish and peeled prawn in green lemon juice, salt and some chopped garlic. Set aside.
2. Pound the rest of the chopped garlic in a mortar with some salt till a paste forms.
3. Add the chopped coriander, cilantro, parsley and spring onions to the garlic paste.
4. Heat up a large pot (Brazilians use a large clay pot) over low to medium flame. Add in the mixed herbs and the tomatoes. As soon as you start to smell the perfume from the herbs, add a splash of olive oil.
5. While the claypot is cooking, sear the fish and prawns in another pan, and then transfer it into the claypot on top of the herbs.
6. Add in the onions and capsicums. Put on the lid and let it cook for about 10 mins. You can add a bit of water to reach desired consistency.
7. To make the pirão, take a bit of stock from the claypot and put it into another pan to cook. Mix the yucca flour into the stock while stirring till a thick sauce is formed. About 5 mins.
8. Serve the seafood stew with white rice topped with pirão.
Brazilian Southeast-Style Fish and Shrimp Stew
Serves 4
Ingredients
Coriander and/or cilantro, finely chopped
Flat leaf parsley and spring onions, finely chopped
Pimenta bodinho or maleguata (hot red chilies), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 kilograms white fish (grouper, monkfish or kingfish)
Juice of 4 green lemons
5 tomatoes, sliced
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 kilograms prawns, peeled
4 white onions, finely chopped
3 capsicums (red, green, yellow), small diced
Colorau de Urucum (sweet paprika powder)
300 grams yucca flour
Salt to taste
Method
1. Marinate the fish and peeled prawn in green lemon juice, salt and some chopped garlic. Set aside.
2. Pound the rest of the chopped garlic in a mortar with some salt till a paste forms.
3. Add the chopped coriander, cilantro, parsley and spring onions to the garlic paste.
4. Heat up a large pot (Brazilians use a large clay pot) over low to medium flame. Add in the mixed herbs and the tomatoes. As soon as you start to smell the perfume from the herbs, add a splash of olive oil.
5. While the claypot is cooking, sear the fish and prawns in another pan, and then transfer it into the claypot on top of the herbs.
6. Add in the onions and capsicums. Put on the lid and let it cook for about 10 mins. You can add a bit of water to reach desired consistency.
7. To make the pirão, take a bit of stock from the claypot and put it into another pan to cook. Mix the yucca flour into the stock while stirring till a thick sauce is formed. About 5 mins.
8. Serve the seafood stew with white rice topped with pirão.
