Roland Villard, who runs chic restaurant ‘Le Pre Catalan’ overlooking Rio’s Copacabana Beach employs classic French techniques to bring out the rich and unusual qualities of Brazilian produce in particular Amazonian specialities. Serves: 8 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Ingredients For the blini: • 30ml (2tbsp) palm or vegetable oil • 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped • 1 sweet red pepper, deseeded and chopped • 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped • 1 sweet yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped • 2 onions, chopped • 300ml coconut milk • 30ml (2tbsp) tomato purée • 10ml (2tsp) shrimp paste • 350g fresh white bread crumbs • 200g plain flour • 45ml (3tbsp) freshly chopped coriander • 8 medium eggs, separated • 5ml (1tsp) baking powder For the tomato salsa: • 1kg tomatoes • 50ml (2tbsp) olive oil • 1 clove garlic, chopped • 1onion, chopped For the sauce: • 500g Brazil nuts • 500ml milk • 75ml (3tbsp) olive oil • 24 raw Tiger prawns, shelled
Method 1. Heat the palm or vegetable oil in a large frying pan and sauté the garlic, sweet peppers and onion for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally until softened. 2. Add the shrimp paste and tomato purée to the sautéed vegetables and cook on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for 3-4 minutes. 3. Stir the breadcrumbs into the vegetables. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the flour, coriander, egg yolks and baking powder. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper 4. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are firm and form stiff peaks. Stir some of the egg whites into the mixture to loosen it slightly, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. 5. Let this rest for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, 350ºF, gas mark 4.Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 20-23cm round, loose- bottomed spring release cake tin and cook for 35-40 minutes until risen and golden. Remove from the tin and allow to cool slightly. 6. Meanwhile make the tomato salsa: cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Cut the flesh into small cubes. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic, sauté for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes. 7. Blend the Brazil nuts with the milk in a food processor. Sieve the mixture to separate the liquid from the pulp. Heat the liquid and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add the pulp and stir until it loosens. 8. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the prawns until they have turned pink. 9. To serve slice the blini and arrange 3 pieces on each plate. Place a little tomato beside each one and place 3 prawns on top. Add the Brazil nut cream and serve. This recipe is from a free online recipe guide created by The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism and EMBRATUR, the Brazilian Tourist Board, to help bring Brazilian flavours to the UK.