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YOU know a type of cuisine has truly arrived in the UK when we start trying to recreate it ourselves, rather than leaving it to the professionals in a restaurant. Brasilian food is the latest to be embraced by adventurous home chefs. And Brasilian restaurant Cabana is all for it.
Cabana and Confidential want to know how you use your Malagueta. To pimp your cheese toastie? On your fish and chips?
They've published Cabana: The Cookbook – a vibrant, inspiring collection of recipes that serves as a great introduction to Brasilian food. And they've started to sell their own 'Kick' sauce in bottles for you to cook with at home. Also known as Spicy Malagueta sauce, it's a fiery combination of malagueta chillies, garlic, lemon juice, tomato and herbs.
There's loads of ways to use it – as a marinade for meat, as a dip for fries, or as a flavour-injection for a stew. It's the kind of ingredient you'll reach for more and more often, until one morning you find yourself adding it to your cornflakes, and realise you've got a problem.
Cabana and Confidential want to know how you use your Malagueta. To pimp your cheese toastie? On your fish and chips? Share your Malagueta habit with fellow addicts with the hashtag #howdoyouMalagueta at @cabana_brasil and on Cabana's Facebook.
Kick sauce is a great-tasting shortcut for home cooks, but if you've got time, why not make Malagueta sauce yourself from scratch? Confidential had a go – we used it to make a favourite recipe from Cabana: The Cookbook – Spicy Malagueta Chicken. We've reproduced the recipe below, and you can watch our video to see how ours turned out.
Brasilian food is rooted in home cooking rather than haute cuisine, so it's ideal for trying your hand at yourself. Or if you'd rather have someone do the hard work for you, head to Cabana in The Corn Exchange for an authentic taste of the zingy, fresh, full-of-life food that Brazil does best.
You can buy Cabana: The Cookbook (£20) and the Kick sauce (£6.95) online here or at Cabana Manchester in The Corn Exchange.
Cabana Spicy Malagueta Marinade & Spice Malagueta Chicken Skewers from Manchester Confidential on Vimeo.
Spicy Malagueta Chicken - Serves 4
500g boneless and skinless chicken thighs
5 tbsp Spicy Malagueta Marinade (see recipe below)
1 large red pepper
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quantity of Honey Mustard Glaze (see recipe below)
Trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs. Place in a bowl, add the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill. Let the chicken marinade for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Light the barbecue and allow time to let the flames die down before you begin to cook. If cooking indoors, set the oven grill to medium heat. Trim and de-seed the pepper then cut into 2-3cm thick strips. Thread the peppers and chicken thighs alternately onto 4-5 metal skewers. Season the chicken and pepper lightly, then cook for about 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste the chicken with the honey glaze and return to the heat for a few more minutes until golden brown and just cooked through. The chicken thighs should feel firm when ready. Remove the chicken and leave to rest for a few minutes. Serve while still hot.
Spicy Malagueta Marinade - makes about 275ml
70g small red chillies (preferably Malagueta)
5 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
70ml light olive or sunflower oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2½ tsp tomato purée
2½ tsp caster sugar
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 heaped tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp sea salt
Pinch of dried oregano
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Split the chillies lengthways and place them in a small roasting tray with the garlic and olive oil. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then put the chillies, garlic and oil in a small food processor or blender and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend to a smooth purée. Transfer to a clean jar, seal and keep refrigerated.
Honey Mustard Glaze - makes about 50ml
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl and use to brush over grilled meat to glaze it.
