The Olympics are in full swing! Over the past few days, all eyes have been on Rio de Janeiro, where the world's top athletes are currently gathered. While each nation holds its fingers crossed for its respective contestants to win the gold, let's set the atmosphere by cooking a few specialties from the magnificence that is Brazilian cuisine.
Fried cheese with sweet chili sauce
These tasty, crunchy, fried cubes are one of the most popular appetizers in Brazil. The perfect drink to go with them is Caipirinha - the Brazilian national cocktail, made from cachaça, sugar from sugar cane, ice and lime.
Ingredients for 4 servings: 1 cup full fat milk, 4.5 oz grated halloumi cheese or goat cheese, 4.5 oz granulated tapioca, 2 pinches salt, a pinch of white pepper, vegetable oil, sweet chili sauce.
Preparation: Heat the milk in a small pot. In another container, mix the grated cheese and tapioca well. Add the milk, while stirring vigorously, to avoid lumps from forming. Add salt and pepper. Stir until the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture onto foil and carefully stretch it out using a rolling pin. Cover it with foil and leave it in the fridge for 4 hours to cool. Then cut it into cubes and braise it in highly heated oil.
Arapaima with milk from Brazil nuts
Brazil nuts are a high protein food and can be consumed in various ways. The milk made from them can be used as a substitute for coconut or cow's milk, as well as be used in many tasty recipes. Here, we're going to present you the recipe for arapaima (the largest freshwater fish in the world). If you can't find any, you can use trout or cod instead.
Ingredients for 2 servings: 1 1/5 cups raw Brazil nuts, 2 fillets of arapaima (trout or cod), 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp coarsely chopped coriander, 1 zucchini cut into very thin slices, 1 finely chopped red onion head, 1/5 cup okra, cut lengthwise, 1/5 cup finely chopped parsnips, 2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2″ slices, 2 tomatoes, cut into 1/2″ slices, 3 bunches of thyme.
Preparation: Put the Brazil nuts in a blender with 1 2/3 cups water and turn it on for 5 min. Leave the mixture to sit for 30 min. and strain it through a gauze or fine sieve. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and black pepper and let them sit for 30 min.
In a large pot, put 4 1/5 cups water with 1 tbsp salt and put it on the stove to come to a boil. Boil the sweet potatoes for 5 min. and the okra for 3 min. Arrange all of the vegetables in a lightly oiled oven dish and place the fillets on top. Pour the Brazil nut mixture over everything and bake in a preheated 430°F (220 °C) oven for about 15 min.
