Bóbo de Camarão ~ Shrimp and Yuca Stew

Recipe by my Mom, Photos and videos by Priscillakittycat

Having a mother that cooks good is like winning the lotto–every day.  It’s so nice to come home from a long day of work and see the table set…for a banquet.  Here at home it’s like this–every day.  The only thing better than mom’s “everyday” cooking is mom’s cooking when my brother is in town.  That’s when mom takes it to the next level.  My brothers arrived from a day of fishing and mom was waiting…with an overflowing pot of Shrimp and Yuca Stew.  Detailed list of ingredients to follow.  For now, just watch the videos.

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Ter uma mãe que cozinha bem é igual tirar na loteria-todos os dias.  Como é bom chegar em casa depois de um dia longo de trabalho e ver a mesa posta…como se fosse para um banquete.  Aqui em casa é assim-todo dia.  Melhor do que isso só quando o irmão esta na terra porque ai é que a mami bota pra quebrar.  Os irmãos chegaram da pescaria e a mami estava esperando…com uma panela transbordando de bóbo de camarão.  Detalhes a seguir…

Camarão na Moranga – Shrimp Stew in a Pumpkin

 

  

 

There are many things to love about the holidays.  For me, the first signal that the holidays are here:  Supermarket produce sections stacked high with pumpkins.  It’s fun to pick through piles of pumpkins to find the one that’s “just right” – the one you’ll carve a funny face onto for Halloween.  There’s a local church that sets up this real cute pumpkin patch in early October.  At the Pumpkin Patch Festival you get to see some gargantuan pumpkins.

Besides their decorative use during an All-American Halloween, pumpkins can turn out some succulent dishes. Travel about 4,000 miles south to Brazil and indulge in this: Shrimp stew served in a baked pumpkin. The somewhat sweet taste of pumpkin blends beautifully with creams, cheeses, tomatoes and shrimp.  Dip your potato bread in that!

I took the recipe from an online video series, ClubeGourmet Fischer.

Ingredients:

1 pumpkin (seeds removed and inside scraped)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup tomato sauce
1 kg peeled and deveined shrimp
2 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ cup milk
250 gr softened cream cheese
½ cup table cream without the serum
½ cup chopped parsley and green onion
salt and pepper to taste

Slice and remove the pumpkin’s lid.  Use a spoon to remove the seeds and scrape the inside (remove the fibrous pulp).  Replace the lid and wrap the pumpkin with foil.*  Bake the pumpkin in the oven at 200 C (400 F) for 40 minutes.  Remove pumpkin from the oven and let rest.

Heat the olive oil, garlic and onion in a pot.  When the onion becomes transparent add the tomato sauce and the shrimp.  Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes.**  In a separate cup dissolve the flour in the milk, then add it to the pot.  Add salt and cook on low heat.  Add the table cream and creme cheese.

Remove some of the pulp from the baked pumpkin and add it to the pot.  Be careful not to remove too much pulp or the pumpkin will lose it’s form and the structure will weaken.  Use the back of a spoon to coat the inside of the pumpkin with cream cheese.

Pour the contents of the pot into the pumpkin and bake at 400F for 20 – 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Adjustments: The pumpkins I chose were big so I doubled the recipe and used more than the listed ingredients.  For example, I used 7 lbs of shrimp so that I could fill two pumpkins and feed the big famiglia.  *I didn’t wrap foil around the pumpkin when I baked it because this step didn’t seem necessary.  I did, however, use a lower temperature setting in the oven (360F instead of 400F). **I added the shrimp later and allowed the tomato sauce to boil a bit on it’s own.

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Aqui nos Estados Unidos a época das festas começa com o Halloween.  Antes do Halloween morangas (pumpkins) enfeitam as pratileiras de todos os supermercados.  Nas cidades e principalmente no interior se realizam festivais da abobora: “Pumpkin Patches” ou “Pumpkin Festivals”. Para mim estas aboboras significam o início da temporada do Natal.  E é nesta época que aproveito a fartura de abóboras para preparar um prato todo Brasileiro:  Camarão na Moranga.  Sirva com o Pão de Batata Italiano e pronto- virou jantar gourmet.

Peguei a receita no ClubeGourmet Fischer.  Aqui esta o link para o video.  Camarão na Moranga.

Ingredientes:
– 1 abóbora moranga;
– 2 colheres (sopa) de azeite de oliva;
– 1 cebola picada finamente;
– 1 xícara (chá) de molho de tomate;
– 1 kg de camarão cinza limpo;
– 2 colheres (sopa) de farinha de trigo;
– ¼ xícara (chá) de leite;
– 250g de requeijão;
– ½ lata de creme de leite sem soro;
– ½ xícara (chá) de cheiro-verde para polvilhar;
– Sal e pimenta a gosto.

Tire um tampo da moranga e, com uma colher, escave tirando a semente e a polpa fibrosa. Coloque a tampa novamente envolva no papel alumínio e leve por 40 minutos a 200º C. (Eu não envolvi a abóbora no papel alumínio.)

Após retirado do forno, deixe em tempo de espera. O cozimento finaliza com o restante do recheio.

Recheio:

Em uma frigideira, leve o azeite, a cebola e o alho. Depois que a cebola estiver transparente, adicione o molho de tomate e os camarões já temperados. Quando abrir fervura, deixe por mais 5 minutos. Em um recipiente, dissolva a farinha com o leite e adicione à frigideira.
Acrescente sal e cozinhe em fogo baixo. Após, misture o creme de leite e o requeijão.

Tire um pouco mais da polpa da moranga e junte ao recheio (não deve ser muito, para não fragilizar a casca). Após, besunte a moranga com requeijão.  Adicione o recheio na abóbora, leve ao forno para gratinar (220º C) por 20-30 minutos.

Alterações: Não embrulhei a moranga com papél alumínio porque não pareceu necesário.  Mas diminuí a temperatura do fôrno.  Usei quase 4 kilos de camarão e dobrei a medida dos outro ingredientes porque tinhamos duas morangas grandes.  Deixei a mistura do molho de tomate cozinhar por mais tempo sem o camarão e acrescentei o camarão só depois de cozinhar o molho.  Fiz isto para o molho pegar o gosto do alho e a cebola.

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Moqueca de Peixe com Camarao – Brazilian Fish and Shrimp Stew

Recipe by My Mom, Photos by Priscillakittycat.

Moqueca de Camarao e Peixe
Shrimp and Fish Stew

There’s some controversy over where the Moqueca, a Brazilian fish stew, originated. It is said to have originated in the State of Bahia where the dish is most reported to be consumed. But the State of Espirito Santo also claims to have created the dish. One thing is certain. The Bahian version includes Azeite de Dende and Coconut Milk and this is what gives the stew the best taste. Azeite de Dende is the oil of an African Palm Tree’s fruit, the Dende fruit. It is a heavy and strong-tasting oil. Dende Oil can be found in Brazilian Specialty Markets. You can omit the Dende Oil and only include the Coconut Milk, if you wish. Clay pots are used to prepare these types of stews. Recipe courtesy of my mom.

Heat 3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil in the pot. Add at least one tablespoon minced garlic and a healthy heap of chopped onions. When the onions and garlic are lightly golden (careful not to burn them), add chopped red bell pepper, canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, chopped cilantro, parsley, green onion and tomato paste.

Allow this to cook (simmer) until the ingredients are incorporated and have taken a red color.  You will still see the green spices (about 40 minutes). The consistency will be similar to that of pasta sauce. Season with salt and red chili peppers to taste. The chili peppers are an important ingredient in this dish and are added to most Bahian dishes.

Carefully add seasoned fish steaks or filets (use a fish that holds well and doesn’t break). Cook for about 10-15 minutes. The pot will be barely simmering. Add the shrimp and bring to a simmer for a little longer, until shrimp turns pink and the fish is fully cooked, approximately 20 minutes. During this process do not stir the contents of the pot so that the fish remains intact. When the shrimp is ready, add one can of coconut milk and allow the milk to heat. Serve immediately, accompanied by white rice and a baguette or bread for dipping.