Cabo Verde Chefs Prepare Brazilian-Inspired Dish

In the sixth episode of the second season of 'Desafio dos Chefs', Chef Márcio Ricci and Chef Gonçalo Gama teamed up to prepare a traditional Brazilian dish. The recipe, 'Carne de sol com arroz de leite de coco e queijo coalho', was featured on RecordTV Cabo Verde. This generous dish is ideal for family gatherings and combines sun-dried beef, coconut milk rice, and curd cheese.

The dish features sun-dried beef, which can have varying levels of saltiness. To balance the flavors, it's essential to check if the beef is already desalted and cooked before preparation. The beef is used in two forms: shredded to add flavor to the rice and in pieces, browned and added at the end. This combination creates different textures, making the dish more appetizing.

Coconut milk adds aroma and creaminess to the rice. As the rice cooks, it absorbs the flavor of the coconut milk, resulting in a creamy texture that complements the other ingredients. The dish also features curd cheese, which is golden brown and cut into cubes. For those unfamiliar with curd cheese, this recipe provides an excellent opportunity to try it.

The recipe requires 500g of sun-dried beef, 400g of raw rice, 200g of curd cheese, and various vegetables. The preparation time is 15 minutes, with a cooking time of 30 minutes, making a total of 45 minutes. The dish serves four people and has approximately 1050 kcal per serving.

To prepare the dish, the chefs start by cooking the sun-dried beef if it's still salty. They then separate 350g of the beef for shredding and 150g for cutting into pieces. The vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic, are chopped and sautéed. The rice is cooked with coconut milk and water, and the shredded beef is added to the refogado.

While the rice cooks, the chefs prepare the other components of the dish. They brown the curd cheese and cook the beef pieces in a frying pan. The peppers are sautéed until they're slightly tender. Once the rice is almost cooked, the chefs add the sautéed peppers, malagueta peppers, and browned cheese.

The final dish is a combination of flavors and textures, with the sun-dried beef, coconut milk rice, and curd cheese coming together to create a complete and appetizing meal. The chefs emphasize that the dish is best served hot, garnished with fresh parsley, and shared with family and friends.

Key points

• The recipe 'Carne de sol com arroz de leite de coco e queijo coalho' is a traditional Brazilian dish featured on 'Desafio dos Chefs'.
• The dish combines sun-dried beef, coconut milk rice, and curd cheese, and serves four people with approximately 1050 kcal per serving.
• The preparation time is 45 minutes, including 15 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking.