Preparing piranhas: four delicious recipes to eat adventurous
Prepare your freshly caught piranha in the native style, with these Brazilian recipes. The cachama, a ranched species related to the piranha, is often used where piranhas are not available locally. You can also use Cachama (in Colombia) and Tambaqui or Pacu (in Brazil) that also originate in the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. Two species of Cachama cultivated commercially in Central and South America are the white (Piaractus brachypomus) and the black (Colossoma macropomum). If one of these is not available where you live, any firm white meat fish or fillets will do. Here are four delicious ways to prepare your piranha:
Piranha in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
Piranha, whole, clean and flaked
4 firm, ripe tomatoes
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
half cup water
2 tablespoons margarine
salt and pepper to taste
Addresses:
Peel and cut the tomato into small cubes. Put half of the tomatoes and onion in a large skillet, place the clean Piranha on top, and top with the rest of the tomato, onion, and parsley. Add the salt and pepper.
Add half the water and cook covered over low heat for about 20 minutes or until the fish can be easily pierced with a fork.
Carefully remove the piranha from the skillet and place on a warm serving plate.
Reduce the mixture in the pan for 5 more minutes until it thickens and pour over the piranha.
Brazilian piranha soup
Ingredients:
Piranha, whole fish (or heads)
seasonal vegetables or to taste
carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
yam, peeled and sliced
onions, whole small or quartered
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 small chilies to spice things up a bit
small ginger root, roughly chopped
1 or 2 sliced or sliced lemons or limes
Addresses:
Boil whole fish in vegetable broth with spices and pieces of ginger. Add fresh cut vegetables. Remove the bones and larger fins from the fish. Cut lemon or lime as a garnish. Remember, the head is an aphrodisiac and is often served separately. The soup can also be made entirely with piranha heads if desired.
Fried piranha
Ingredients:
One medium-sized whole piranha for each serving
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
sprig of fresh parsley
whole lemon or lime
1 or 2 whole ripe tomatoes, sliced
small amount of seasoned flour or cornmeal
Addresses:
Clean and scale the fish thoroughly. Make a series of diagonal cuts along both sides of the fish from the top to the belly. Crush the garlic cloves and mix with the salt and a little pepper. Rub this mixture into the cuts along the sides of the fish. Wrap with a damp banana leaf (or moistened paper towel). Let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. Some Colombian cooks leave it refrigerated overnight. Heat some fresh cooking oil over high heat in a large skillet. Lightly sprinkle the marinated fish with seasoned flour or cornmeal. Fry browned on each side, turning the fish carefully after browning. Serve hot garnished with tomato slices and fresh lemon or lime juice squeezed over the fish.
Amazonian style piranha grill
Grilling fresh fish over an open fire is always a tasty way to enjoy fresh catch. Use a clean, flakeless whole fish, lightly rub in oil, season with salt and pepper or other available spices, then place on a grill, about 4 – 6 inches from heat. In the wild, you can use a frame of small twigs and shaved saplings to place the fish on the fire. Cover the fish with a banana leaf (or aluminum foil) and cook until the fish is browned on the bottom, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip the fish carefully and continue until the meat is close to the bone (check with the tip of a small knife or long fork), about 8 to 10 minutes. Smaller fish tend to do better with this method, especially in the jungle.
Modifying these procedures slightly will allow you to adapt them for use with a barbecue grill. If you haven’t already, be sure to read the “Piranha: Deadly and Delicious” article online at: http://EzineArticles.com/?id=72722. Enjoy!