Casserole of Shrimp and Hearts of Palm (Camarões com Palmito)
on Nov 03, 2017, Updated Aug 13, 2023
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A tomato-tinged brothy Brazilian one-pot dish, fragrant with scallions and cilantro and parsley.
I got to visit Brazil 20 years ago, in the company of my very dear friend Christopher Idone. Christopher wrote a wonderful cookbook called Brazil: A Cook’s Tour, which I edited, published in 1995. (Somehow Christopher, an admired veteran food writer, ended up with yours truly, a pretty junior food editor at the time. A very classic case of “and the rest was history”).
After the book came out, we traveled through Sao Paulo, Rio, and Bahia. All of the recipes that we had poured over on the pages of the manuscript were suddenly all there in 3-D real life. Dishes red with dende oil, crunchy with manioc flour, aromatic with coconut milk. Rich Feijoadas, creamy Tutu a Mineira, hot and cheesy Pao de Queijo.
Brazilian Cuisine
The combined cultures of Indian, African, and European (predominantly Portuguese) over the past centuries are visible in the different types of ingredients, techniques, and dishes Brazil. And in later years an influx of other immigrants have continued to enrich the culture and the food with new influences. You can find hints of Japanese, Arab, Lebanese, North American and Chinese flavors in the food.
Casserole of Shrimp and Hearts of Palm (Camarões com Palmito): A brothy, flavorful Brazilian one-pot dish.
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Casserole of Shrimp and Hearts of Palm (Camarões com Palmito)
One of the dishes I wanted to eat over and over was the Camarões com Palmito, or Casserole of Shrimp and Hearts of palm. We finally this encountered this casserole in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Two of the most appealing foods ever nestled together in a tomato-tinged brothy one-pot dish, fragrant with scallions and cilantro and parsley.
Christopher and I continued to cook and eat together for 20 more years after our trip to Brazil. We fantasized abut going back for the 2016 Olympics, knowing that because of his health it was not in the cards. When he died several years ago he left this world having introduced a whole lot of people Brazilian cuisine.
This recipe is adapted from his classic book, Brazil: A Cook’s Tour. (Sorry, Christopher, I love you, but I didn’t make my own shrimp stock).
More Shrimp Recipes:
- Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp with Smoked Paprika
- Garlicky Shrimp and Broccoli with Meyer Lemon
- Shrimp, Sugar Snap Pea and Scallion Stir Fry with Miso Sauce
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
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Casserole of Shrimp and Hearts of Palm (Camarões com Palmito)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 green bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 10 large ripe plum tomatoes roughly chopped (juices reserved)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley divided
- 4 scallions white and most of the green, trimmed and chopped, divided
- 2 pounds extra large or jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 14-ounce cans hearts of palm drained and cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Hot cooked white rice to serve, about 6 cups
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy stockpot or Dutch oven, over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the flour, and stir until the flour turns starts to turn light beige, about 2 minutes. Turn the flour out of the pan onto a plate.
- In the same pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until slightly softened about 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are all tender, about 4 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, partially cover, and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat so that the tomatoes keep at a simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are soft and soupy.
- Add the broth and return the mixture to a simmer. Stir in half of the parsley and half of the scallions.
- Add the shrimp and hearts of palm to the pot with the tomato broth mixture, season with salt and pepper and stir. Sprinkle the flour very gradually over the cooking shrimp and tomatoes, stirring constantly, until all of the flour is incorporated. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and the shrimp are almost cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining parsley and scallions, and the cilantro and cook for 1 more minute. Serve over white rice.
As a diabetic who struggles mightily in maintaining my blood sugar at a decent level, my wife and I have recently learned of “the heart of palm”. Upon our investigation, we discovered that it’s practically a “super food” and could be used to supplement my diet including the substitution of other starchy veggies/fruits (which raises blood sugar). I just saw this Brazilian Shrimp Casserole that looks ABSOLUTELY delicious!!! South American, Brazilian, Peruvian and Portuguese cuisine are MY most beloved food! We (my wife and I) will soon be making this dish (replacing the rice with small cut portions of carrot pasta) and will repost our journey in creating this dish! I’m grateful for this recipe and will share with my friends, family and medical team! Once again… Thank you KATIE WORKMAN!!!
What kind of hearts of palm seasoned or plain? Canned or is there an option for frozen?
plain, and either canned or jarred are fine. I’ve never seen seasoned or frozen, but if you find them, please let me know!