Passport & Plate - Feijoada
Australia | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 3 photos
Ingredients
• 1 pound dry black beans
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 large smoked sausages cut into chucks
• 1 pound pork ribs cut into pieces
• 1 pound smoked bacon cut into chucks
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• Water
• Salt
How to prepare this recipeCover the beans with water and let them soak overnight.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and fry all the pork meat. When it has browned, remove the meat from the pot, set aside and add the onions to the pot. Stir occasionally and brown them. Sprinkle a little salt and add the garlic. Stir well for 2 more minutes.
Add the pork meat back and the bean. Pour enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves and vegetable cube stock, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 2.5 to 3 hours hour until the meat begins to fall off the bones.
I recommend to prepare the dish in the afternoon or evening and serve it the next day, with garlic fried rice and slices of orange. It always tastes better the next day!
ps: the pictures are from my very first attempt at making feijoada back in australia.
The story behind this recipeThis dish brings me 5 years back, to one of the happiest times of my life on a faraway exotic island: Australia! Back then, all I wanted was excitement and adventure. I had quit my job, left my Parisian apartment, said goodbye to all my friends and family. My plan? To land in a new country with nothing but a suitcase, a one way ticket and a working holiday visa. My goal? To live the experience as it came. To follow my heart, keep my eyes open for opportunities and discover where life would take me.
Just two days after my arrival, I met someone and suddenly, my entire stay in Australia became linked to this unexpected encounter that changed the course of my life. For a year and a half we evolved in a bubble of bliss where we enjoyed each other’s presence through every small aspect of life: talking, walking, laughing and of course…eating! We were eager to taste all the local specialties: kangaroo meat, crocodile sausages, barramundi, sea bugs… Cooking quickly became one of our favorite pass times and we gradually decided to discover one new recipe per week. One day I asked him about the gastronomy of his country.
I can still remember how much care he put into the preparation of our very first Feijoada, the national dish of Brazil. It was a first for him too and as he took a mouthful, I could see from the bright twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his face, that he had just being transported back home. I could feel his heart warm up as he proudly encouraged me dig into my plate and enjoy a gustative and sensorial trip through his beautiful country.
I have prepared many Feijoadas since my return to Europe. It is actually rather funny how this dish turns out to be the perfect meal for a dark cold winter night. Each taste is a reminder of those times spent on a dreamy sunny island with someone close to my heart. Each taste is also a trip to a country that I have never been to, but that strangely, I already seem to know.
