World Cup Dinners

The first World Cup I REALLY remember is USA ‘94.

Sure, I remember bits of Mexico ‘86 (mostly getting a toy of the mascot- Pique, a sort of anthromorphic upside down chilli-pepper with sombrero in a Kinder Egg) and Italia ’90 (Gazza crying, everyone in school singing Nessun Dorma), but it was the year of the ‘Greatest show on Earth’ where my love of the World Cup really took hold. Baggio was the star of the show, and my hero, that year…..but Brazil won in the end thanks to his infamous penalty miss in the shoot-out, after what was a pretty dour final.

So, Brazil were the champions of my first World Cup, and after winning again in 2002, are facing enormous pressure to claim their sixth win this year, in their own back yard!

I thought it seemed appropriate, to get in the mood for the tournament, to kick off the project by making the national meal of the host nation Brazil – Feijoada.

Feijoada (pronounced ”fayzhe-wada”) is a stew consisting black beans, and varied meats, usually sausages, and cuts of smoked pork, but sometimes beef too. (In my version I’ll be using a smoked gammon joint and a Mattesson’s smoked sausage.)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

Feijoada
300 g smoked gammon cut into cubes
100 g smoked sausage
2 slices bacon cut into cubes (or lardons)
1 can black beans drained
1 brown onion cut into segments
2 spring onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 ml olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 an orange (cut into quarters)
300 ml ham stock (from stock cube)

Greens
200 g collard greens, washed, shredded
10 ml olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

To Serve
100 g Rice
chopped fresh (optional)
chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1 orange sliced

INSTRUCTIONS
Stew
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy, deep pot and stir-fry the onion, garlic, and spring onions until softened.
2. Cut the smoked pork and sausage into chunks about and inch in size.
3. Add the drained beans, sausage, pork, smoked bacon, salt, ground coriander, black pepper, bay leaves, quartered-orange and ham stock. Cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed to ensure that the beans are completely covered while cooking.

Spring Greens
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan and sauté 1 crushed clove of garlic until soft( careful not to let brown as garlic has an acrid taste when overdone).
2. Add the 2 bunches spring greens, and salt & pepper
3. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until greens are tender.
4. Serve with sliced oranges, white rice, spring greens.