Brazil's best bar snacks

Gearing up to watch the Olympics? As the athletes battle it out, just sit back, relax and feast on tasty Brazilian snacks, using these authentic recipes...

7 mins

Brazilian bruschettas

(pictured above)

Ingredients:

3 small baguettes
2 tbsp mayonnaise
15g of capers
15g of Gorgonzola
15g of anchovies
6 fine slices of calabresa (Brazilian smoked sausage)
3 slices of ham
4 small tomatoes cut into slices
3 basil leaves
1 tbsp honey
dried garlic
Finely chopped herbs
Olive oil
250g of half cured grated cheese

For the skewers:

60g of goiabada cascão (guava quince)
120g of half cured cheese

To prepare:

1. Cut the baguettes in half and slice open, spread on the mayonnaise and place in a roasting pan.

2. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the baguettes; on three of the 12 pieces place two slices of calabresa, Gorgonzola and some dried garlic. On another three place a slice of ham and capers; on another three the slices of anchovies, three tomatoes and some garlic; and on the remaining three some honey. Then to finish, drizzle olive oil over the top.

3. Place in the oven at 200ºC until golden brown. Arrange on a plate and place the basil leaves on the bruschettas with capers.

To prepare the skewers:

1. Cut the cheese and goiabada into small pieces; skewer onto toothpicks.

'It’s a Lora thing'

Ingredients:

200g of ribs
200g of cupim (roasted or stewed cut of beef)
150g baby potatoes
Vegetable stock
Finely chopped herbs
Olive oil
Cayenne peppers
150g of Minas cheese

For the sauce:

2 tsp of butter
1 tbsp of sifted wheat flour
300ml of milk
150g of half cured Minas cheese
1 onion
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of grated nutmeg
1 pinch of salt

For the garnish:

Mayonnaise
Spring onions and parsley

To prepare:

1. Season the ribs and cook at a low heat until tender. Put aside.

2. Season and cook the cupim in a pressure cooker until tender. Put aside.

3. Cook the baby potatoes in vegetable stock, drain, then season with oil, finely chopped herbs, cayenne peppers and put aside.

4. Cut the Minas cheese into cubes and season with olive oil, finely chopped herbs, cayenne pepper and put aside.

To prepare the sauce:

1. Gently fry the butter and wheat flour in a pan until golden. Add the milk, onion, whole bay leaf, nutmeg and salt. Simmer until the wheat flour is cooked. Take off the heat and sieve.

2. Then place in the blender and blend with the Minas cheese.

How to serve:

1. Grill the cupim and the ribs on separate baking trays and place in gravy. Pour on the
cheese sauce and garnish with mayonnaise, spring onions and parsley.

Gerais Gold

Ingredients:

For creamed cassava with cheese:

500g cassava
1 cup of grated Minas cheese
1 cup of cream
1 roughly chopped onion
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of garlic seasoning and salt
750ml of water

For sun-dried meat:

1kg braising meat
1 tbsp of salt
1 tbsp of creamy onion soup
2 tbsp of manteiga de garrafa (bottled butter)
300ml water
Oil

For polenta balls stuffed with cheese:

500g cornmeal
500ml water
half a tbsp of salt
2 tbsp sour cassava flour
Oil
Minas cheese cut into medium-sized cubes

To prepare:

1. Creamed cassava with cheese: blend the cooked cassava in the blender with the water.

2. Sauté the onion with the butter and season, then add the blended cassava. Cook until the mixture starts to boil, then add the Minas cheese and the cream at a low heat.

3. Sun-dried meat: cut the meat open like a large steak, sprinkle with salt on both sides and leave to marinate in the fridge for three days.

4. Cut into medium-sized cubes. Place the meat in a pressure cooker with the bottled butter and the creamy onion soup. Add the water and leave to cook for 10 minutes.

5. After the meat has cooked, deep fry.

To prepare the polenta balls stuffed with cheese:

1. Boil some salted water. Dissolve the cornmeal in a little water, then add to the boiled water. Blend for 20 minutes.

2. Pour the polenta into a bowl and mix in the sour cassava flour. Leave to cool.

3. To make the balls, take a piece of dough, open it up in your hand, place a cube of cheese inside and roll until it forms a ball. Tip – moisten your hand with water
beforehand, to help with rolling the balls. Deep fry.

These recipes were supplied by Brazilian chef Eduardo Maya, the creator of Comida di Buteco – an annual month-long bar food festival celebrated in Brazil during April. Originally just in Belo Horizonte, he decided to create a contest that would revitalise the local snack bars that are so characteristic to the city. Today, over 12 years later, the competition has spread across the whole country with 16 cities in Brazil participating, including Rio de Janeiro. 

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