Vatapá

Ingredients

• 4 slices stale white bread, torn
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 500g fresh shrimp, peeled
• 1/2 cup dried shrimp
• 1/2 cup raw peanuts, toasted and ground
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, toasted and ground
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoons dendê (palm) oil
• 1 cup fish or shrimp stock
• Salt, to taste
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish
• 4 cups steamed white rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Tear the bread into rough pieces and pour the coconut milk over it, letting it soak until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Grind the toasted peanuts and cashews coarsely.
• Chop the onion and mince the garlic and ginger.

Steps

1. Blend the soaked bread and coconut milk together until smooth, then set aside.
2. Heat half the dendê oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 4 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add the fresh shrimp and dried shrimp and cook for 3 minutes until the fresh shrimp just turns pink.
5. Lift out half the fresh shrimp and set them aside for garnish.
6. Stir the ground peanuts and cashews into the pot.
7. Pour in the bread-coconut mixture and the stock.
8. Simmer gently over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often to stop it catching, until thick and smooth like a loose paste.
9. Stir in the remaining dendê oil and season with salt.
10. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
11. Spoon the vatapá over steamed rice.
12. Top with the reserved shrimp and chopped cilantro before serving.