by Chef Paulo Machado – in reference to Pantanal Food Trip

Remembering is living, a way of traveling in flavors, and being able to replicate recipes when the time is right.

I chose this recipe to honor my grandfather, Antônio Barbosa de Souza, who opened it nine years ago, who left us, and was a handful gourmand. Born in Minas Gerais, he taught me to appreciate chicken with okra and its drool, tongue in its sauce and rice with guariroba, one of the preparations he most liked.

Totonho, as he liked to be called, was a simple person, a proud miner, always opening his meal with artisanal cachaça. He left Minas Gerais (a brazilian State) very early, but he never lost the habit of a good table.

This is a typical recipe from the Midwest and Campo Grande City (capital of Mato Grosso do Sul State) is one of the few places where you can buy it directly from indigenous villages. Activity we do at FoodSafari Pantanal (Pantanal Food Trip).

In this recipe you can use fresh or canned guariroba. To soften the bitter taste of the fresh heart of palm, boil it for 30 minutes in water. Another tip is to reduce the amount indicated in the recipe. As for canned guariroba, I recommend rinsing it for a few minutes, to remove excess acidity.

Rice with Guariroba recipe :

Ingredients
1 piece of fresh guariroba heart of palm, about 400 g (if not the season, use canned heart of palm)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove of minced garlic
1 chopped onion
1/2 bunch of chopped parsley
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
2 cups of rice tea
1 tablespoon of olive oil

way of preparing

In a tall pan with a lid, sauté the garlic and onion in the oil. Add the chopped guariroba and sauté for a few minutes. At the end, add the butter. Season with salt, pepper, parsley and add the rice, frying it in the mixture. Cover with water up to two fingers above the rice and cook over low heat in a semi-covered pan. It will be delicious if you serve it with roasted pork. Sharpen your senses and have a good appetite.