Community Cocina: Brazilian Bobó de Camarão
Last month, we worked together to cook a sweet, flavorful bobó de camarão! This food's ingredients are a beautiful blend of Brazilian and Ghanan plants and seafood, and they reflect the cultural backgrounds of the food's inventors: the people in the Bahia region of Brazil. Thank you to everyone who came, mashed manioc, peeled shrimp, and otherwise came together in community to enjoy this dish!
Thank you as well to the Orlando United Assistance Center for allowing us to use their space, and the OUAC staff for being so welcoming and staying after-hours to help us.
The recipe for bobó de camarão is below, so you can enjoy the food at home as well!
Brazilian Bobó de Camarão
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Feeds about 8 people
This dish can be separated into its two main components: the bobó (manioc chowder) and camarão (shrimp). Mushrooms also make a great substitute for the shrimp!
Bobó (Manioc Chowder) Ingredients
2 lbs cooking onions, peeled and chopped
2 lbs firm, ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 tbsp finely cilantro, finely chopped
2 lbs manioc/cassava/yuca root, peeled, boiled and mashed
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups coconut milk
Camarão (Shrimp) Ingredients
4 lbs medium or large shrimp, peeled, deheaded and deveined, with tails left on
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups coconut milk
2 tbsp dendê oil (coconut oil is a good substitute, since dendê oil can be hard to find in stores!)
Directions
To prepare the manioc cream, combine the onion, tomatoes, green pepper and cilantro with the mashed manioc in a large, heavy saucepan. Stir in the olive oil and coconut milk, then heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the cream begins to pull away from the bottom of the pan when you stir. Remove from the heat and place on the side.
Rinse the shrimp well in cold running water and drain. In a large, deep saucepan, combine the drained shrimp, chopped garlic, salt, cilantro, tomatoes, onions, green pepper and olive oil. Heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently. When hot, add the coconut milk in 1/2 cup amounts, stirring after each addition to completely mix. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the manioc puree from before to the shrimps and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Just before removing from the heat, add the dendê oil and mix it in completely. Remove from heat, pour into a deep serving platter, sprinkle with additional cilantro if desired and serve!
About Community Cocina Community Cocina is a multi-cultural education series that seeks to analyze the history and culture of the Latin American, Central American, and Caribbean regions by understanding their roots and exploring them through their cuisine, language, and music.
