Bobó de Camarão – Brazilian Shrimp Stew

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced (a heaping cup)
• 2 teaspoons of palm oil (azeite de dendê)
• 1 tablespoon Brazilian sofrito (or 4 cloves of garlic, minced)
• 1.3 pounds yuca root, peeled, shredded
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (pink, white, etc)
• 3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1-2 hot peppers (Dedo de moça, red aji pepper, Serrano pepper)
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 14oz can of coconut milk
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup green onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (and more for garnish)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the palm oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add the onion and saute until soft.

3. 3

   Next, add the Brazilian sofrito, and saute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Then, add the bell peppers, and saute until soft.

5. 5

   Then, add the tomatoes and cook until soft.

6. 6

   Add in the ginger and the chopped cilantro. Stir to combine.

7. 7

   Add the shredded yuca, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

8. 8

   Pour in the coconut milk, and 2 cups of water. Stir and simmer covered over low heat until the yuca is cooked, about 25 minutes, while stirring regularly.

9. 9

   About halfway, add the chopped green onions and the chili peppers—if the mixture starts to get too thick, and starts to stick at the bottom of the pan, add another cup of water. (Please note that there will be some pieces of yuca that aren't completely soft and disintegrated, and that's normal.)

10. 10

    When the yuca is mostly cooked, add the lime juice to the peeled and deveined shrimp, and stir to combine.

11. 11

    After about 2 minutes, add the shrimp to the mixture. Cook another 10-15 minutes, until shrimp is just cooked and pink. (Cooking the shrimp for much longer will yield chewy, tough shrimp.)

12. 12

    Serve over white rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.