Entree: Brazil – Sao Paulo – Cuscuz Paulista (A savory São Paulo-style cornmeal mold with vegetables, eggs and sardines served sliced)
Serving Size: 6
Approximate Time
Prep
30 min
Cook
15 min
Additional
2 hrs
Total
2 hrs 45 min
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360 g) pre-cooked yellow cornmeal (farinha de milho pré-cozida)
- 4 cups (960 ml) hot chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (approx. 150 g)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 8 g)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (approx. 120 g)
- 1 cup (150 g) carrots, diced and cooked
- 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup (240 ml) tomato sauce (passata)
- 2 cans (8.5 oz/240 g total) sardines in oil, drained
- 3 large eggs, hard-boiled and sliced (approx. 150 g)
- 1/2 cup (70 g) green olives, sliced
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent, then add garlic and bell pepper and cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste, then add bay leaves and simmer 3–4 minutes.
2. Pour in hot stock and bring to a gentle boil. Gradually add the cornmeal in a steady stream, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and pulls away from the pan, about 6–8 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves. Stir in cooked carrots, peas, half the parsley, olives and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the drained sardines gently to avoid breaking them completely.
4. Lightly oil a 9x5-inch (23x13 cm) loaf pan or a ring mold. Arrange half of the sliced hard-boiled eggs and a few sardine pieces decoratively in the bottom, then spoon in the cornmeal mixture and press gently to compact. Top with remaining egg slices and a few olive slices for decoration.
5. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set. Unmold onto a serving platter, sprinkle with remaining parsley, slice and serve cold or at room temperature.
