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EDGAR LEAL and
MARIANA MONTERO DE CASTRO
Cacao | Coral Gables, FL
Don’t be fooled by their different surnames –
Edgar and Mariana are as hot a culinary couple as they come!
Their Venezuelan passions play out in the kitchen of Cacao,
their Coral Gables restaurant. Edgar deftly prepares his modern
Latin cuisine informed by frequent travels abroad, and Mariana
follows up with killer pastries that reflect her exacting
French training. Despite their enormous talent and passion,
this couple displays not one iota of arrogance. They readily
admit that the better you get, the longer the road ahead is.
Yuca Stuffed with Brazilian Shrimp BoBo
Chef Edgar Leal of Cacao - Coral Gabels, FL
Adapted by StarChefs
Yield: 6 - 8 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound yuca
- 1 red onion, grated
- 2 tomatoes diced
- ½ cup of unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch
- ½ pound raw shrimp, meat diced in three parts
- 3 Tablespoons margarine
- 1 teaspoon of dende oil (Brazilliam palm oil)*
- 1 teaspoon of Tabasco
- 1 Tablespoon of chopped cilantro
- 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Corn flour for dredging
- Salt and pepper
*Available in Latin American markets.
Method:
Wash and peel the yuca. Cut in half lengthwise and then
again into three parts. Put into a large pot of cold water,
bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for about
25 minutes until the yuca is very tender. Strain and leave to
cool slightly in a colander. When cool enough to handle, but
still warm, remove any gray fibers in the yuca. Mash finely
by pressing through a fine sieve with the back of a spoon or
use a ricer.
In a small skillet, sauté the onions and the tomatoes
in 2 Tablespoons margarine until caramelized. Add the coconut
milk mixed with the cornstarch. Once it thickens slightly
add the shrimp and 1 Tablespoon of margarine, sautéing
for 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Add the dende
oil, the Tabasco and the cilantro. Set aside and cool.
To assemble the croquettes, flour a work surface and your
hands. Place about 1 Tablespoon of the yuca mash into the
palm of your hand and squash it down to form a disc. In the
center place about 1 Tablespoon of the seafood filling and
then carefully bring the sides around to cover the filling
and form a croquette.
Lightly coat croquettes in corn flour. Deep fry croquettes
in very hot oil (but not smoking) until golden. Drain on paper
towel and serve immediately with salsa or hot red pepper mayonnaise.
Interview
Cont'd
AT: What chefs do you
most admire?
EL: Jean-Georges inspires
people, and I love his management and style.
MM: Pierre Hermé,
Gaston Le Notre, and Albert Adria.
AT: What is your most
indispensable kitchen tool? Why?
EL: Silpat. Everything
we make uses them.
MM: Using the non-stick
Silpat means I don't have to use any extra fats in my baking.
AT: What cities do you
like for culinary travel? Why?
EL: South America- Lima,
and Sao Paulo, and Santiago, Chile. There are so many amazing
restaurants and places to party.
AT: What are your favorite
food haunts in your city?
EL: Ouzo, a Greek restaurant
on 71st St. We go there a lot. The food is great and they
have $18 Greek wines. Plus it’s close to my house.
AT: What is your favorite
spice or ingredient? Why?
EL: We use seeds of a
sweet chili (aji dulce) that no one else has. It hasn’t
killed anyone yet. We have friends with a garden that have
3 bushes of them. You can’t buy it here -- the plants
are from Venezuela.
MM: "El Rey"
Chocolate from Venezuela - it is the best chocolate available
on the market.
AT: Is there a culinary
technique that you have either created or use in an unusual
way?
EL: Variations of arepa.
Instead of heavy dough we make it like a cracker that breaks
in your mouth.
AT: What are your top
three tips for dessert success?
MM: Precision, the best
ingredients and concentration.
AT: What are your favorite
desserts?
MM: I love to make miniature
chocolates, parfaits and espumas.
AT: What is your favorite
question to ask during an interview for a potential line cook?
EL: Who are the people
you’d like to become? I love when someone knows who
the chefs on top are. I like to see people who know what’s
going on in the field, who realize the world is very big.
AT: What advice/tip
do you have for culinary students just getting started?
EL: Attitude is the main
thing. I’d never hire someone with a great background
and a bad attitude. But I would hire someone with no background
and great attitude. No arrogance.
AT: Where do you see
yourself in 10 years?
EL: I dream of becoming
like Jean-Georges or Nobu, but with South American food. That’s
my dream. I can’t say if we’ll make it or not.
The better you get, the longer you see the road is, and you
appreciate the people who made it.
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