Alex Atala blazed a new culinary trail in Brazil when he opened D.O.M - his São Paulo restaurant - in 1999, and over a decade later, he is still at the helm of contemporary Brazilian cuisine. Last year he opened his second restaurant, Dalva e Dito, specialising in local dishes, and next up is his São Paulo padaria, a traditional bakery opening in July. Here, Brazil's best-known chef tells us how to recreate some of his iconic dishes.
Photograph by Cassio Vasconcellos
Chilled beetroot cream, mandarin, priprioca with cold squids
Serves four
Ingredients:
For the beetroot cream
400g peeled beetroot
100ml concentrated mandarin juice
60ml water
20ml olive oil
10ml priprioca essence
Salt
Pepper
Tabasco
Preparation:
Thinly slice the beetroot.
Cook the ingredients in a vacuum bag and cook in bain-marie with the thermocirculator for five hours in 85 C.
After the cooking, with the help of a Thermomix, mix the ingredients until it acquires a homogeneous consistence.
Season to taste.
For the cold squid
500g baby squids
120g coarse salt
900g ice
4 litres water
A one-litre bucket with a lid.
Preparation:
Place inside the bucket 30g of the salt, 300g of the ice, 1 litre of water and the squids.
Put the lid on and shake the bucket vigorously for about five minutes or until it creates a thick foam. Repeat this operation three more times.
Then beat the squids again with the remaining ice and water for more 10 minutes.
Leave it in water and ice until serving.
Decorate the dish with wakame seaweeds.
Photograph by Cassio Vasconcellos
Chilled beetroot cream, mandarin, priprioca with cold squids
Serves four
Ingredients:
For the beetroot cream
400g peeled beetroot
100ml concentrated mandarin juice
60ml water
20ml olive oil
10ml priprioca essence
Salt
Pepper
Tabasco
Preparation:
Thinly slice the beetroot.
Cook the ingredients in a vacuum bag and cook in bain-marie with the thermocirculator for five hours in 85 C.
After the cooking, with the help of a Thermomix, mix the ingredients until it acquires a homogeneous consistence.
Season to taste.
For the cold squid
500g baby squids
120g coarse salt
900g ice
4 litres water
A one-litre bucket with a lid.
Preparation:
Place inside the bucket 30g of the salt, 300g of the ice, 1 litre of water and the squids.
Put the lid on and shake the bucket vigorously for about five minutes or until it creates a thick foam. Repeat this operation three more times.
Then beat the squids again with the remaining ice and water for more 10 minutes.
Leave it in water and ice until serving.
Decorate the dish with wakame seaweeds.
Photograph by Cassio Vasconcellos
Green Tomato Gel
Serves four
Ingredients:
20 green tomatoes
15ml white vinegar
8g salt
4g sheets of gelatin
4g coriander seeds, rushed
4g black salt
5ml extra virgin olive oil
4 units toasted Peruvian corn
1 unit of red tomato seeds
1 unit of orange supreme, divided into 3 parts
Sprouts of beetroot, chervil, basil, coriander and celery
Borage flowers
Clover
Watercress
Purslane and jambu leaves
Preparation:
Using a centrifuge, extract the juice of the tomatoes and filter it through a thin chinoix with a sterile wet cloth.
Season with salt and vinegar.
Hydrate the gelatin leaves in cold water.
Heat the tomato juice to 60C and mix the gelatin.
Put 3 level soup spoons of the mixture in the dishes and place them in the fridge for two hours.
To finish:
Add the olive oil, black salt and the coriander seeds to the gel.
Place the orange supreme on the surface of the gel and finish with the basil leaves and a dash of fine salt over each supreme.
Place the tomato seed over with the coriander sprouts
Decorate with the sprouts, flowers and leaves, and serve.
Photograph by Cassio Vasconcellos
Green Tomato Gel
Serves four
Ingredients:
20 green tomatoes
15ml white vinegar
8g salt
4g sheets of gelatin
4g coriander seeds, rushed
4g black salt
5ml extra virgin olive oil
4 units toasted Peruvian corn
1 unit of red tomato seeds
1 unit of orange supreme, divided into 3 parts
Sprouts of beetroot, chervil, basil, coriander and celery
Borage flowers
Clover
Watercress
Purslane and jambu leaves
Preparation:
Using a centrifuge, extract the juice of the tomatoes and filter it through a thin chinoix with a sterile wet cloth.
Season with salt and vinegar.
Hydrate the gelatin leaves in cold water.
Heat the tomato juice to 60C and mix the gelatin.
Put 3 level soup spoons of the mixture in the dishes and place them in the fridge for two hours.
To finish:
Add the olive oil, black salt and the coriander seeds to the gel.
Place the orange supreme on the surface of the gel and finish with the basil leaves and a dash of fine salt over each supreme.
Place the tomato seed over with the coriander sprouts
Decorate with the sprouts, flowers and leaves, and serve.