Griilin pineapples as a dessert is really easy to do. For minimal effort you land up with a dish that everyone loves. When you add a little Chilli to that and you have a real winner. Very good when done in grill pan on your stove top but but even more exceptional when done on the BBq
Ingredients
Pineapples - one large ( ripe)
Chilli flakes - one tablesppon
Brown sugar - two tablespoons ( optional)
Lime juice - one tablespoon
Instructions
Skin the pineapple and into 20mm slices
Sprinkle with sugar ( if using and lime juice)
Bring a griddle pan to high heat. ( on the BBQ place on the grill over slow burning coals)
Place the pine apple rings in the pan . Grill until black/ brown char marks appear on the first side then flip
When the second sided is simailary borwne flip again. Cook for another 30 seconds
Sprinkle with chilli flakes
Serve on its own or with ice-cream
Notes
Keywords: Grilled pinapple with Chilli flakes
Serves: about 10 portions ( dependant on pineapple size)
“Pimenta Dedo-de-Moça Recheada com Queijo” is a beloved Brazilian appetizer that showcases the country’s famous Dedo-de-Moça peppers (literally “lady’s finger peppers”) transformed into an irresistible cheese-filled treat. This classic Brazilian dish features fresh red chillies stuffed with a luxurious combination of grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese and Parmesan.The stuffed peppers are enrobed in a light, effervescent batter made with wheat flour and sparkling water – the carbonation creating a delicate, crispy shell when fried in hot oil. The result is a perfect harmony of spicy heat from the Chillies, a satisfying crunch from the coating, and a molten cheese center that makes this dish a staple at Brazilian social gatherings and celebrations. While Jalapeños can be substituted when Dedo-de-Moça peppers aren’t available, the traditional Brazilian pepper variety offers an authentic taste that has made this dish a national favorite.
This recipe., in the Brazilian style for making this type of dish,. is also made using dried beef as the filling. In some versions, dried beef ( Carne de sol desfiada *) is combined with the cheese for another exciting combination. Fantastic as a snack or appetizer
Ingredients
Red chillies – 250 grams ( Jalapeno or Dedo de Moca ) -see note.
Grated cheese - 125 grams ( Mozzarella or cheddar)
Parmesan cheese - one cup
Wheat flour - two cups
Sparking water - one cup
Salt - one teaspoon
Vegetable oil - 500 ml
Instructions
Cut the chiilies open on one side to reveal pith and seeds. Remove these ( see more re stems)
Bring a pot of water to the boil.
Add the chillies for one minute. Immediately plunge into ice-cold water.
Dry the chillies on absorbent paper kitchen towels
Place the wheat flour into a mixing bowl. Add the water and stir until a thick batter has been achieved.
Place the parmesan cheese into a shallow dish.
Spoon about a teaspoon or more of cheese ( dependant on the size ) into the chillies
Secure with wooden toothpicks to prevent the cheese from spilling out
Bring the oil to a frying heat in a skillet.
Dip the cheese-filled chillies into the batter, then coat with parmesan cheese in the shallow dish
Fry in batches until golden brown and crispy
Serve
Notes
Do not remove the stems . They will provide a useful way of holding the chillies once they are fried
Carne de sol desfiada can be substituted by shredded South African biltong or beef jerky from the USA
It will probably be challenging to find Dedo de Moca Chillies outside Brazil, so I have suggested Red Jalapenos. The chillies that should be used is however not written in stone, Any reasonably big red chilli ( Romanos for example) can be used as a substitute.
Linguiça, a beloved Brazilian sausage that traces its roots back to Portuguese cuisine, has become a quintessential part of Brazilian barbecue and everyday cooking. This flavorful pork sausage showcases a perfect balance of garlic, black pepper, and chilli flakes, enhanced by the fresh brightness of parsley. Unlike many other sausage varieties, Brazilian linguiça’s unique character comes from its simple yet carefully balanced seasoning profile, allowing the quality of thepork to shine through. The sausage is traditionally made with fatty pork to ensure juiciness and flavour, while the natural casings help achieve that characteristic snap when bitten into. Whether grilled over charcoal at a churrasco, pan-fried for breakfast, or used as a flavouring ingredient in feijoada, linguiça represents the heart of Brazilian meat-curing traditions and continues to be a staple in Brazilian households and restaurants alike.
This sausage is extremely popular in all Portuguese speaking parts of the world. While this is a recipe in the Brazilian style of making Linguica, there are variations made in other countries. This a fresh version but other versions include drying and smoking it and adding other spices like turmeric
Ingredients
Fatty pork – two kilograms ( see note)
Garlic cloves – four (peeled and minced)
Ground black pepper - one teaspoon
Chilli flakes – two teaspoons
Chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt – one tablespoon
Water – 100 ml
Sausage casings - 3 meters 36/40mm wide
Instructions
Preparation
Soak the sausage skins in water in the refrigerator for 24 hours
Chilli the pork (and fat, if using) in the freezer for at least an hour before beginning mincing
Peel and mince the garlic
Rinse the sausage skins in fresh water 30 minutes before beginning and place in luke-warm water
Making the sausages
Cut the pork (and fat) into 25mm pieces.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chilli flakes
Add the garlic and water
Mix everything well. Place back in the freezer for a further thirty minutes.
Mince the meat into a coarse mince using a 4.5mm mincing plate. ( or closest size)
Stuff the mince into the casing ( be careful not to overfill otherwise the sausages with burst when you cook them)
Make into links according to preference.
Can be cooked immediately but the sausages will benefit from being left overnight in the refrigerator so that the flavours can develop.
Great on the BBQ or fried
Notes
Aim for a fat percentage of about of about 20 percent. To do this use pork shoulder and add pork belly ( without skin) to the ratio of 80 percent shoulder with 20 percent belly. For lean meat add pure pork fat at about the same ratio
Okay, okay. This is not a recipe for a traditional Feijoada. It is my take at something I ate in a Portuguese restaurant in Cape Town, South Africa. It runs along the same theme as the dish from Brazil, but with significant differences. In the first place, in this recipe, I use cannellini beans or butterbeans. In traditional Feijoada, black beans are used. Secondly to speed up the recipe I don't soak the beans overnight and slow cook them with the meats. I use canned beans and add them right at the end. Thirdly instead of the carne sec (dried beef) used in Brazil, I use a ham hock. And finally, I add Chillies right in the beginning where typically Hot sauce is generally added to Feijoada after it is cooked and it is being served. Despite these differences, I believe my version of Feijoada is delicious and excellent comfort food. I hope that you will agree!
Ingredients
Ham hock – approx. 750 grams (uncooked)
Chorizo sausage – 250 grams
Baby back pork ribs – 500 grams (cut into individual ribs)
Olive oil – two tablespoons
Onions – two medium (diced)
Bay leaves – 4
Dry White wine – ½ cup
Chillies – 4 to 5 (Sliced)
Cannellini or butter beans – 2 cans (cooked)
Chicken stock – one to two cups
Tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
Black pepper – one teaspoon
Instructions
Soak the Ham hock in water overnight to remove excess salt. Change the water at least an hour before beginning cooking and finally rewash it under cold running water.
Pat the hock dry with a paper towel. Cut into bite-size pieces. Keep the pieces and the bone to one side.
Heat the oil in a skillet to medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic and chillies. Stir for two minutes
Now add the chorizo. Fry until the fat is the sausage is released and is beginning to turn the onions and garlic red.
Add the ham hock (including reserved bone) and baby ribs and fry until starting to brown.
Add the white wine to deglaze the skillet.
Once deglazed, add the chicken stock, black pepper and tomato paste.
Turn down the heat and place a lid on the skillet. Cook the meat at a low temperature for about two hours. (Keep an eye on it. What you are looking for the meat to become very tender, but not falling apart. It should not need it, but if it seems like the meat is becoming dry, add more chicken stock)
Once it reaches this stage, add the drained beans. Remove the ham hock bone.
Turn up the heat and once the beans have been heated through and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the stove.
Serve with rice or freshly baked bread. (And, of course, a bottle of hot sauce)
This rich and vibrant Brazilian dish hails from the coastal state of Bahia, where African culinary traditions have deeply influenced local cuisine. Vatapá transforms humble ingredients like dried shrimp, bread, coconut milk, and ground peanuts into a luxuriously creamy stew that captures the essence of Brazil’s northeastern coast. The complex layering of flavours – from the brininess of dried shrimp to the subtle heat of birds-eye (or malagueta ) chillie and chilli powder, all mellowed by coconut milk and enriched with dendê oil – makes this dish a true celebration of Afro-Brazilian cooking traditions. Whether served over rice or as a filling for acarajé, vatapá showcases the ingenious ways that enslaved Africans adapted their culinary heritage to create something entirely new in Brazilian something entirely new in Brazilian soil.
Brazilian Vatapa sauce is something you have to try ! An Afro/<a href="https://chilliworkshop.co.uk/2020/11/27/the-use-of-chillies-in-brazilian-cooking/" data-mce-href="https://chilliworkshop.co.uk/2020/11/27/the-use-of-chillies-in-brazilian-cooking/"> Brazillian </a>dish popular around the whole of Brazil. This spicy, creamy stew is traditionally eaten with <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/acaraje" data-mce-href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/acaraje">Acaraje</a>, a fried bean and onion dough ball that has its origins in Nigeria, It can also be served with rice and in a more western style, simply with toast. Really tasty and full of flavour!
Ingredients
Dried shrimps - 100 grams
Onion – one large – finely diced
Garlic – two cloves- finely chopped
Birds-eye Chillies – three – finely chopped ( see note)
Coriander/ Cilantro – ½ cup ( chopped)
Roasted peanuts – ¼ Cup
Cashew nuts – ½ Cup (unsalted)
Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder – one teaspoon
Coconut milk – 400ml
Palm oil – 100 ml ( see note)
Milk (full fat) – 250ml
Day-old soft crushed French loaf – ¾
Salt – one teaspoon
Water – ½ cup
Wheat flour – 3 tablespoons
Instructions
Finely grind the peanuts, cashew nuts and shrimp individually and place in separate bowls
Break the French bread into a large bowl and add coconut cream, milk and water. Allow bread to soak up the liquids by stirring with a spoon
Place the soaked bread in a blender and pulse. Add wheat flour and chilli powder. Blend well
Now slowly incorporate the nuts by and shrimp tablespoon by tablespoon until well combined
Heat palm oil in a pan and bring to medium heat. Add onions and fry until translucent
Add chillies, ginger and the garlic. Fry gently for two-three minutes
Place the bread /nut mixture into the pan
Gently heat to a medium temperature, stirring all the time
Add Coriander
Allow to reach simmering point. It is essential that you not stop stirring at any point as there is a danger the mixture will catch on the bottom of the pan. What you are looking to achieve is to cook the mixture at simmering /boiling temperature until the mixture is cooked. The mixture will thicken in this process into a creamy paste
When the palm oil starts rising to the surface, it indicates that the sauce is cooked through
Remove from stove and serve with rice, toast or Acarajé (Brazillian fried patty made with beans and onions.)
Notes
Whilst birds-eye Chillies are specified in this recipe, use Malagueta Chillies if you can get them. They are the Chillies that the Brazilians use when they make this dish
* Palm oil can be substituted by Canola oil
**For a hotter Brazilain vatapa sauce , add more chillies
This beloved Brazilian seafood stew from Bahia combines tender white fish and plump shrimp in a rich coconut milk broth, fragrant with dendê oiland bright with tomatoes, peppers, and fresh lime. Swimming with ocean-sweet prawns and firm fish chunks, the dish captures the essence ofBrazil’snortheastern coast, where African, Portuguese, and indigenous influences merge. Traditionally served with pirão and farofa, this moqueca exemplifies Brazil’s masterful way with seafood.
Brazilian comfort food of the highest order. Fish and prawns are simmered in coconut milk with tomatoes, garlic and chillies to provide a wonderfully satisfying meal. Great dish to serve at a dinner party for friends and family. Also fantastic for a home - cooked romantic wedding anniversary or Valentines day meal
Ingredients
Salmon – 300 grams (see note *)
Large prawns - 200 grams ( shelled and deveined)
Onions - 2 medium ( finely chopped)
Red Bell pepper - 1 medium (coarsely chopped)
Birds-eye Chillies - four to five finely chopped ( see note**)
Fresh lime juice - 2 tablespoons
Tomatoes – 3 medium finely chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves ( finely chopped)
Dendê oil- 2 tablespoons (can be substituted with olive oil)
Coconut milk – one can (400ml)
100 ml of double cream
Salt to taste
Aleppo Chilli flakes – 1 tablespoon ( see note***)
Green coriander – ½ handful (chopped)
Chives - handful (chopped)
Instructions
Chop fish into bite-size pieces
Combine with prawns and lime juice in a bowl. Allow to marinate in the fridge while preparing the other ingredients
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a high walled frying pan
Add onions and fry until they start to become translucent
Add the Chillies garlic and ginger, stir for two minutes
Add the Bell pepper. Stir fry until it begins to soften
Add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer (approximately 5 minutes)
In a separate pot heat remaining olive oil. Add fish and prawns and fry until just about to change colour ( one to two minutes). Add stir-fried vegetables from other pan
Add Aleppo chilli flakes and salt. Stir
Add coconut milk, double cream and chives
Simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing seafood to become hot and cooked through
Add coriander. Stir in
Serve
Notes
*In this recipe, I have used salmon, but any firm-fleshed fish (e.g. monkfish, cod or swordfish) will work
**Add chillies according to tolerance to heat. In Brazil Dedo de moça Chillies are used, but these can be difficult to get hold of outside South America. Suitable substitutes are Red Cayenne chillies, African Devils , Malaguetas or if you are feeling brave,Scotch Bonnets( use only one though)
***Aleppo Chilli flakes can be substituted by Paprika powder.
Keywords: Moqueca de peixe com camarão
Serves: 4 portions
Image credit ]
By Gilrovina - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61595941
A Brazilian classic