About Brazilian Cuisine
Brazil is the largest and the only Portuguese speaking country in South America. It has diverse and traditional gastronomy. Today I am sharing my recipe, my way of grilled turmeric chicken from Meatbox as part of Prato Feito, read on to understand this Brazilian dish.
Brazilian cuisine is a result of a mix of ingredients and recipes brought by different cultures that have arrived in my homeland. Back in the day, in the 16th century to be more precise, the Portuguese colonised Brazil bringing with them European cooking techniques and ingredients.
Along our history, many other different nationalities introduced many new exciting foods to our country such as the Italians (pizza, pasta), Spanish (empanadillas – empadinhas), Arabs (spiha, lamb, kibbeh), Chinese/Japanese (wontons – pastel) among other nationalities.
Mealtimes in Brazil are usually a family and friends affair. It’s the time of the day to catch up and share memorable moments with loved ones. Majority of the time, lunch is a substantial meal.
Rice and beans are a staple of the Brazilian diet. They are typically eaten with a protein, salads, a vegetable, farofa (a toasted flour of manioc or corn) and fries.
Everyday Eating – Prato Feito
The vast majority of the Brazilian workforce eat at simple, economic restaurants that serve a decent meal at a reasonable price. Most of these restaurants offer something called a Prato Feito (often abbreviated to PF on menus and signboards). The Brazilian pronunciation of Prato Feito is something like PRAH-to FAY-to)
PF or Prato Feito is similar to Today’s Special. It’s a whole plate (prato) filled with rice, beans, protein, manioc flour, a vegetable and fries with a side salad. It is not a fancy meal of dreams, but it is fulfilling and tasty. And it’s a vital part of a Brazilian culinary experience. I made a homemade PF and the protein I chose today is grilled chicken, below is the recipe – Turmeric Chicken.
Today’s special : Prato Feito my way – Cooking with Meatbox
My Today’s Special, or Prato Feito in Brazilian Portuguese, was made using the succulent chicken breasts from Meatbox, an excellent online meat delivery service within the UK, selling the finest, natural, ethical and fresh premium free-range produce. They have a nationwide 24 hours delivery Monday to Friday.
They have plenty of choices of moderately priced fresh meat boxes, cured meats/deli, a great meat counter and unique seasonal offerings all sourced within the UK. There’s also a flexible subscription option and an MB club where you collect points that turn into great perks and rewards.
My experience with their service was enjoyable. The meat was vacuum packed, surrounded by dried ice packs, the meat arrived very cold. The box was sturdy, and no leaks!
Meatbox offers a very impressive, high-quality produce. I had the extremely generous Lean Meatbox priced at £47.50.
The Lean Meatbox contains:
- 10 X 170g chicken fillets
- 2 X 170g rump steaks
- 2 X 170g sirloin steaks
- 4 X 115g handmade lean steak burgers
- 2 X 400g lean steak mince
Plenty for 1 people for 1 month at £47.50 – It is pretty good value for high-quality produce. I definitely buying from Meatbox in the future.
Recipe Turmeric grilled chicken my way for the Prato Feito
Serves : 2
Easy
Ingredients
2x Meatbox chicken breasts
2x tbsp of Fresh Turmeric paste
Method
- Marinate the chicken breasts with the fresh turmeric paste overnight in the fridge or at least 3 hours
- Take the chicken breasts out the fridge, leave them at room temperature – 1 hour
- Grill the chicken for 25 minutes at 180C. It can be pan-fried too
- Once cooked, leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving
- Add to your plate! Enjoy
Fresh Turmeric Paste
makes 350g
Ingredients
150 fresh turmeric peeled
1 small bulb of garlic peeled
Fresh black pepper – to taste
20ml extra virgin olive oil
20g sea salt
Method
1. blend all ingredients to a paste.
2. place the paste in a sterilised jar. It will keep in the fridge for 3 months
This paste is excellent to marinate meats, tofu, add to soups, stews, cook rice, making dressings etc. I like to marinate the meat in the fridge overnight, take out of the fridge one hour before cooking.
Other Brazilian dishes to try: Brazilian food list and Brazilian recipes
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Disclosure: I was gifted a Meatbox for review purposes. All views are my own.
