Soup Vatapá

Vatapá is one of the classic dishes of Brazilian cuisine. It hails from Bahia state on the northeast coast where many of the dishes have African origins. A thick version is often served as a filling for acarajé patties.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

•  onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  dried shrimp (see notes)
• 2 -3  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1⁄4  jalapeano chili pepper, chopped
• 3  tablespoons  oil
• 1⁄2 cup  stock or 1⁄2 cup water
• 1⁄2 cup  natural-style peanut butter
• 1  cup  breadcrumbs
•  salt and pepper
• 1  lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2  cups coconut milk
• 1⁄4 cup  dend  oil (optional)

Directions

1. 1.Place the onion, dried shrimp, garlic and chilies in a food processor or blender and puree well. Add a little water if necessary.
2. 2.Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion-shrimp mixture and sauté until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
3. 3.Stir in the stock or water and whisk in the peanut or cashew butter until smooth. Then stir in the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-8 minutes to meld the flavors.
4. 4.Stir in the shrimp and coconut milk and simmer another 5-6 minutes, or until shrimp is almost cooked through.
5. 5.Remove from heat, stir in the dendê oil and serve.
6. •Vatapá de Galinha: substitute 1 1/2 pounds of cooked, shredded chicken for the shrimp.
7. •Vatapá de Peixe: substitute 1 1/2 pounds of firm white-fleshed fish, cut into chunks, for the shrimp.
8. •If you can't find dried shrimp, you can puree about 1 cup of fresh raw shrimp in a blender and substitute it for the dried.
9. •A truly authentic dish would use dendê, or palm oil, which gives the dish a bright yellow-orange tint. But dendê can be hard to find outside Brazil. Try adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of turmeric to the onion-shrimp paste instead.
10. •Some recipes call for the addition of 1 tablespoon of fresh, minced ginger. Others for 1-2 cups of chopped tomatoes.
11. •The breadcrumbs act as a thickener for the vatapá. Some recipes use cornmeal instead. Others thicken it like a gravy with flour.