Shrimp Bobó

For the shrimp broth:

Wash shrimp shells and heads thoroughly under running water.

Knead and peel the clove of garlic.

Peel and cut the onion into thin half-moons.

In the pestle, crush the coriander seeds.

Bring a medium saucepan to medium heat. When heated, drizzle with palm oil, place the shells and heads of the shrimp and sauté for 10 minutes, until they gain an orange tone and form a golden brown on the bottom of the pan - this step is essential to add flavor to the broth.

Add the garlic, onion, bay leaves, coriander seeds and stir for 2 minutes until the onion is tender.

Drizzle with water little by little, scraping the bottom of the pan with the spatula to dissolve the burns and increase the heat. After boiling, cook for another 40 minutes over low heat, until the broth has halved.

Over a bowl, pass the broth through a sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid, about 2 ½ cups (tea). Reserve.


For the Shrimp Bobó:

Cut the cassava into pieces and place them in a pressure cooker. Cover with water (being careful not to exceed the maximum limit of ⅔ of the volume of the pan) cover and place over medium heat. When it starts to beep, turn the heat down and let it cook for 20 minutes.

Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic cloves.

Cut the pepper and tomato in half, discard the seeds and cut the halves into cubes.

Coarsely chop the coriander stalks and leaves. Cut the chili pepper in half, lengthwise. With the tip of the knife scrape and discard the seeds, finely chop the halves (if you want a more spicy bobó keep the seeds).

Tip: to avoid accidents with spicy fingers in your eyes, apply oil or oil on your hands after cutting the peppers - capsaicin, the substance responsible for the burning, is fat-soluble. Then wash your hands with soap to remove the oil.


Place the prawns to marinate with the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pan to medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil, add onion, pepper and season with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 8 minutes until well wilted. Add the tomatoes, and sauté for another 4 minutes, pressing with the spatula to form a paste. Turn off the heat and transfer the stew to a blender.

Add 1 cup (tea) of the shrimp broth to the sauté and beat until crushed.

Add the cooked cassava (without the cooking water) and beat again to form a smooth cream. Reserve.

Return the pan to medium heat (no need to wash). Drizzle with palm oil and add the prawns in stages, without piling up - if you add them all at once, they will cook in the liquid itself instead of browning. Let the prawns brown for 1 minute on each side and, with tongs, transfer to a bowl.

Repeat with the rest of the raw shrimp and pay attention: do not discard the lemon juice.

Keep the pan over medium heat and add the garlic and chili pepper. Season with a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute.

Drizzle gradually with the remaining shrimp broth (1 ½ cup) and the lemon broth in which the shrimp was seasoned. Mix well to dissolve the burns at the bottom of the pan.

Over low heat, mix the beaten cassava cream and season with salt. As soon as it boils, add the coconut milk and cook, stirring occasionally.

Return the golden shrimp (with the broth that has formed in the bowl) to the pan, mix and cook for 2 minutes just to warm up. Add the coriander and mix well.

Serve next with coriander leaves to taste, rice and manioc flour.

Enjoy your food!