Discover incredible tips from culinary experts to create the perfect farofa for Christmas dinner
Farofa is one of the most loved side dishes by Brazilians and is almost unanimous in all regions of Brazil, being present both on the everyday table and during the most important holidays, such as Christmas and New Year.
The recipe can be made in different ways, being a blank slate on which to insert your favorite ingredients. Despite this versatility, there are some tips and tricks you can follow to raise the level of your farofa and do something different at your end-of-year dinners.
We have brought together the chefs Amilcar Azevedo, from Nou, Gabriel Marques, from Nonna Rosa, Uélita Bertani, from Èze, Marco Aurélio Sena, from Tantin, to give you ten tips to make your farofas better and with touches of professional gastronomy.
Use butter
Butter is not the only source of fat that can work in these preparations. Use olive oil if you want farofa without animal ingredients, or combine olive oil with butter to make the flavor even richer.
For chef Uélita Bertani, using bottled butter and lard can also be a great option for her farofa.
To finish the preparation
Butter can participate in the preparation from the beginning of the recipe, but it is also a great way to add the finishing touch to your farofa. “I like to finish the farofa with a few pats of unsalted butter—the farofa becomes moister and shinier when you incorporate this ingredient at the end,” says chef Gabriel Marques.
Don’t stop here
Butter is not the only source of fat that can work in these preparations. Use olive oil if you want farofa without animal ingredients, or combine olive oil with butter to make the flavor even richer.
For chef Uélita Bertani, using bottled butter and lard can also be a great option for her farofa.
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Balance of ingredients, flavors and textures
The important thing is to always balance the flavors and textures of the farofa, leaving room for the brightness and flavor of the fat source, the texture of the flour and the flavors of the other ingredients.
What types of proteins should you include?
Among the chefs’ advice, smoked foods such as bacon were recommended to compose the farofa, which added intensity to the recipe. Gabriel Marques recommends trying adding slices of pastrami to the farofa: it is one of the chef’s favorite combinations.
What type of flour to use?
Although it is the most common among conventional farofa preparations, there are other options equally suitable for creating a tasty recipe. It is possible to use flaked corn flour, or even rustic bread flour, following the Minas Gerais tradition of chef Uélita Bertani.
Still speaking of cassava flour, it is also worth testing different granulations and types (white or toasted).
Exercise creativity
Following the trend of seeing farofa as a blank sheet of paper to experiment with new possibilities in the kitchen, you can add your favorite ingredients to these preparations. “In my opinion, everything goes well with farofa, meat, fish, seafood”, comments the chef from Minas Gerais.
“One of my favorite combinations is to add cabbage not as a side dish, but mixed into the farofa recipe,” explains chef Marco Aurélio Sena. You can learn how to make farofa with cabbage and eggs by clicking here.
Tip for getting the right humidity
Chef Amilcar Azevedo shared a golden tip for keeping farofa at the right humidity: use a little vegetable broth to keep farofa moist without overdoing it with butter and fat.
Family recipe
Although it is always important to innovate in the kitchen, the end-of-year celebrations invite us to maintain family traditions, while also focusing on what has always worked well. “My grandmother has a recipe for farofa that is a real hit in the family. She uses bacon, onion, butter, cassava flour, sugar, raisins and sugar—perfect for dinner and it has that Christmas flavor,” says Azevedo.
What to avoid?
Even though farofa “doesn’t have much to do with it”, the chefs have decided on their preferences when it comes to eating this accompaniment.
In their statements, the chefs listed dry ingredients, such as shredded chicken, pasta and purees as options that don’t combine with farofa.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
