By chef Paulo Machado – in reference to the Amazonian fish Pirarucu

Hello dear readers of the FoodSafaris blog!

I just got back from an experience with a lot of Amazon flavor, it was in Alter do Chão, in Pará. There I had the chance to cook for a very cool group that leaves fearless in the corners of Brazil, in their vans, in search of adventure, Brazilian culture and a lot of fun. They are the Estradeiros do Guaporé, from Mato Grosso.

For them I prepared the creative dish that I invented next:

RECIPE: AMAZONIAN PAELLA

2,5 Kg of pirarucu
250 g of dried pirarucu, desalted
500 g of Tuscan sausage
400 g of clean small dry shrimp desalted
2.5 kg of needle rice
250 ml of olive oil
200 ml of palm oil
2 heads of garlic pounded in the pestle
10 rock and white onions, chopped
10 tomatoes cut into four seedless
Coriander, jambu and chives chopped to taste
Turmeric and ground cumin to taste
50 g of chopped ginger
100 ml of tomato extract
Smell pepper and coumari to taste
10 maxixes cut in 4
10 okra cut in half and fried
5 green plantains sliced ​​by immersion
Juice of two lemons
Salt, enough, if necessary

For the broth:
2 L of Tucupi
2 L of secci fungi broth previously hydrated in water
100 ml of cupuaçu juice

How to prepare:

First, roast the seasoned pirarucu slices with salt, tucupi, cumari pepper and lemon juice, reserve.

After, in a large saucepan sauté in olive oil and palm oil: sausage and onion, then add: garlic, gherkin, tomato extract, tomatoes, shredded dried pirarucu and shrimp, coriander, chives, jambu, chopped fungi, sweet pepper , turmeric and cumin.

Sauté it well, add the rice, and then cook with the broth.

Finally, when ready, garnish with plantain chips, fried okra and pirarucu slices.

Serves 20 people.