Latin lovelies from Las Iguanas

Above: Caipirinha

Above: A taste of Brazil

Brazilian King Prawn Moqueca (serves 2)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 x 10mm cube fresh peeled ginger
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
and finely chopped
1 yellow pepper cut into thick matchsticks
1 beef tomato finely diced
1 tin coconut milk
2 tablespoons palm oil, unrefined
25 grams roughly chopped
fresh coriander
4 -5 drops hot chilli sauce (Tabasco)
1 teaspoon fish or vegetable
stock powder
Salt to taste
10 – 12 king prawns

Why not try adding:
9 mussels in the shell (optional)
2 salmon fillets, cut into chunks (optional)

Method
1. If you are using king prawns with the shell on take a sharp serrated knife and cut through the back of the tail shell almost all the way through (as they cook they will open slightly and become easier to cook and peel).
 2. Place the oil into a pan and gently fry the prawns on both sides for approx. two minutes each side then remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and peppers and cook without colouring, with the lid on. (add optional ingredients at this stage)
4. Stir in the fish or vegetable stock powder, tomatoes and coconut milk, bring to a simmer then add the drops of chilli sauce and stir for
five minutes.
5. Add the palm oil, coriander and salt, cook for a further two minutes, taste and add more chilli sauce if needed before adding the prawns back to the sauce for a minute then serve on the hot rice with your choice of accompaniments.
6. You could sprinkle with some toasted desiccated coconut and some chopped fresh coriander.
7. Garnish with a sprig of watercress and a lemon wedge.

Caipirinha

Ingredients
50ml Cachaça
1 lime
3tsp caster sugar
Crushed ice

Method
1. Take one lime, cut the tips of the top and tail off and then cut the lime into eight chunks. Add the lime pieces to a glass tumbler (use a thick, strong glass).
2. Add three bar spoons (or teaspoons) of caster sugar over the top of the lime.
3. Using a muddler or round ended rolling pin, crush the sugar and lime together. As you push the muddler down into the lime, twist it as well so that the abrasive texture of the sugar can cut into the skin of the lime and release the oil.
4. When all the lime pieces are completely crushed so that all the juice has been extracted, add a little crushed ice (so that the glass is half filled) and then add 50ml of cachaça.
5. Take a bar spoon and fold the ice, lime, sugar and cachaça into each other, and add more crushed ice so that it sits proud above the drink.