Brazilian recipe
Savory Creamy Chicken Stew (Bobó de frango)
A velvety and comforting Brazilian classic featuring a rich base of puréed cassava, coconut milk, and the unique aroma of red palm oil.
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Ingredients
1 kg chicken breast, cut into cubes
4 large onions, sliced into rings
1 small onion, minced
10 garlic cloves, crushed
1 kg macaxeira (cassava/yuca), peeled
2 tablespoons azeite de dendê (red palm oil)
200 ml coconut milk
1/2 liter white cachaça
2 tablespoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 liter chicken broth
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
4 large onions, sliced into rings
1 small onion, minced
10 garlic cloves, crushed
1 kg macaxeira (cassava/yuca), peeled
2 tablespoons azeite de dendê (red palm oil)
200 ml coconut milk
1/2 liter white cachaça
2 tablespoons cooking oil
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 liter chicken broth
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Where to find ingredients
You can find fresh macaxeira (cassava/yuca) in the vegetable section of local wet markets (palengke) or well-stocked supermarkets. Azeite de dendê and cachaça are specialty ingredients often available in gourmet food aisles or international sections of large supermarkets. If azeite de dendê is unavailable, refined red palm oil is the best substitute, though it may be milder in aroma.
Preparation method
- Peel the macaxeira and place it in a large pot, preferably an earthenware one.
- Create a layer of sliced onion over the cassava pieces.
- Season with salt and pour in the chicken broth.
- Simmer over low heat until the cassava is thoroughly tender.
- Remove the cassava from the heat and mash it while still warm.
- Set aside the cooking liquid from the cassava.
- In a separate large pot, sauté the crushed garlic and minced onion in cooking oil until golden.
- Add the cubed chicken and sear until browned on all sides.
- Pour in 4 tablespoons of cachaça and allow the alcohol to evaporate completely.
- Reserve the remaining cachaça for the cooking process.
- Stir in the azeite de dendê, tomato sauce, and the chicken broth into the sautéed mixture.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked through.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set them aside.
- Place the pot containing the chicken cooking liquid back on the heat.
- Whisk in the mashed cassava and the coconut milk.
- Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes until a thick cream forms.
- Return the reserved chicken pieces to the cassava cream and let it heat through.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped fresh parsley.
- Transfer the bobó de frango to a serving platter and serve piping hot.
Observations
Bobó de frango is a beloved staple of Brazilian home cooking, cherished for its indulgent texture and bold flavor profile. This traditional method combines tender chicken breast cubes with cooked and mashed macaxeira (cassava/yuca), coconut milk, and the signature addition of azeite de dendê (red palm oil), creating a luxurious, creamy stew.
Perfect for a Sunday family lunch or a special gathering, this dish is surprisingly straightforward to prepare. The starch from the cooked and blended cassava creates a thick, velvety base that beautifully coats the sautéed chicken pieces, resulting in a deeply satisfying meal.
Perfect for a Sunday family lunch or a special gathering, this dish is surprisingly straightforward to prepare. The starch from the cooked and blended cassava creates a thick, velvety base that beautifully coats the sautéed chicken pieces, resulting in a deeply satisfying meal.
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