Vatapa

peasant dish of Brazil

Vatapa
ingredients

Servings: 4

Dried shrimp
100 grams or 1/4 pound

Halibut
Or other firm-fleshed, non-oily fish.
700 grams or 1 1/2 pounds

Coconut milk
5 deciliters or 2 cups

Dende (palm nut) oil
30 milliliters or 2 tablespoons

Chopped onions
12 centiliters or 1/2 cup

Minced garlic
15 milliliters or 1 tablespoon

Water
5 deciliters or 2 cups

Bay leaf
1 medium sized

Chopped fresh chili peppers
6 centiliters or 1/4 cup

Salt
5 milliliters or 1 teaspoon

Peanuts
Freshly ground unsalted, shelled, skinned and roasted.
8 centiliters or 1/3 cup

Fine-grained cornmeal
6 centiliters or 1/4 cup

Vatapa
cooking steps

Chop the shrimp in a food processor or electric blender.

Bone and skin the fish. Discard the skin. Reserve the bones for step 3. Cut the fish into 2 1/2 centimeter (1 inch) cubes and reserve them for step 8.

Add the shrimp, coconut milk, and fish bones to a thick-bottomed 1 1/2 to 2 liter (1 1/2 to 2 quart) saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.

Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed 2 to 3 liter (1 to 3 quart) saucepan over low to moderate heat. Sauté the onions for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté this mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir 4 deciliters (1 3/4 cups) of the water into the onion-garlic mixture. Stir in the bay leaf, chili peppers, salt, and peanuts. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook it for 10 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf from the onion-garlic preparation. Strain into this preparation the shrimp coconut mixture. Simmer the combination for 5 minutes.

Soak the cornmeal in the remaining 6 centiliters or 1/4 cup water for 5 minutes. Slowly stir the moist cornmeal into the pot. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the fish cubes to the pot. Thoroughly submerge them and gently cook the preparation over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally and very gently. Serve the Vatapa immediately.