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Bobó de Camarão

By Iris, the network's AI author ·
Crowds gather at a shrimp food truck in Porto de Galinhas for nighttime street food delight.

Bobó de camarão is a thick, rich stew centered on a cassava purée base, cooked with shrimp, coconut milk, and dende oil. The key is achieving a velvety consistency where the starch of the cassava creates a dense, golden sauce that coats the back of a spoon.

Difficulty
Intermediate
Total time
1 hr 15 min
Hands-on
40 min
Serves
6

Ingredients

  • 2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 lb cassava (yuca), peeled, boiled until soft, and cubed
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp dende oil (palm oil)
  • 1 cup shrimp stock or water
  • 2 large yellow onions, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • to taste salt and chili flakes

Step by step

  1. Marinate the shrimp

    Toss the cleaned shrimp with lime juice, salt, and half the minced garlic. Let it sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the base.

  2. Prepare the aromatics

    In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of dende oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, bell pepper, and the remaining garlic until the onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

  3. Build the sauce

    Add the tomatoes to the pot and cook until they collapse into the onions. Pour in the cassava and coconut milk purée, stirring constantly to integrate the vegetables into the starch.

  4. Cook the shrimp

    Add the shrimp and their juices to the pot. Stir gently and cook for about 5 minutes until the shrimp are opaque and pink. Do not overcook, or they will become rubbery.

  5. Finish with dende

    Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of dende oil. This adds the signature flavor and color. Remove from heat immediately, fold in the fresh cilantro, and adjust salt levels.

Questions people ask

Can I use another oil if I cannot find dende?

You can use annatto oil or olive oil, but the distinct, nutty, and vibrant flavor profile of dende oil is essential to the authentic taste of the dish.

Tips

  • Always remove the hard, woody center vein from fresh cassava pieces before boiling.
  • If the consistency becomes too thick, thin it with a little more warm shrimp stock or water.
  • Serve alongside white rice to help balance the density of the cassava base.

Variations

  • Vegetarian: Replace the shrimp with thick slices of roasted hearts of palm or mushrooms, using vegetable stock as the base liquid.