Strogonoff de Camarao
(Shrimp Stroganoff)
Courtesy of Iara <IL918@aol.com>
Serves 4

A favorite in fine restaurants around Sao Paulo. Also appears on menus with chicken or beef although shrimp is much more elegant.

1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Lime
1/2 large Onion, chopped
1 tablespoon Vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup Catsup
2 cups Heavy cream
1/4 cup Cognac
1 can Hearts of Palm, drained & cut in 1/2-inch slices

Squeeze lime juice over the shrimp and marinate while preparing other ingredients. Heat oil in a saute pan. Add shrimp and rapidly cook. Remove and reserve. Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce by about one-quarter to thicken slightly. Add the catsup and cognac. Return the shrimp to the pan. Add hearts of palm and bring to serving temperature. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper. Serve, accompanied by Brazilian white rice (arroz simples).

Cod Fish Balls
(Bolinho de Bacalhau)
Courtesy of Iara <IL918@aol.com>

1 pound salt cod
2 cups of mashed potatoes
2 tbsps of finely chopped parsley
2 large eggs
oil for frying

Soak salt cod overnight and during the morning, changing water three times. Drain, remove skin and any bones and cut in small chunks. The next step is poaching the cod.  Simmer a small onion, thinly sliced, with a bay leaf and 4 peppercorns in 2 cups of water. After 5 minutes, add the cod and 2 cups of water. When it simmers, cover the pan and remove from heat, so the cod doesn't toughen. You can keep the cod in this liquid in the refrigerator until ready to use it.

To form the bolinhos: drain the fish and flake it well into a bowl. Add 2 cups of mashed potatoes; beat two eggs with a pinch of salt and add them to the fish and potatoes. Some cooks like to separate the eggs, adding first the yolks, then the beaten whites. Add the parsley (and if you want, 1 small chopped onion), salt and freshly grated pepper to taste. Wait about 1/2 hour to form the balls; they should be about 1 1/2 inches. Use good, fresh oil for frying (set deep-fryer temperature at 375°). Dry in paper towels.

Peixe Ensopado
(Fish Stew )
Courtesy of Iara <IL918@aol.com>
Serves 4

Plan ahead, the fish needs to marinate 1 to 3 hours. It is typically made with badejo, a fish similar to sea bass. A good substitute is haddock.

Juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
4 fish steaks
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 green olives, sliced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Prepare a marinade of lime juice, salt and pepper. Marinate the fish for 1 to 3 hours. Saute the onion, olives and garlic in oil until onion is limp. Mix in cilantro and cook for 1 minute. Add fish and marinade. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish is done. Mix in tomato paste. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with rice.