Mozambique shrimp and okra with piri piri

The Portuguese arrived in Mozambique as a trading stop and gradually occupied the nation for about 470 years, one of the most brutal occupations in history. Vasco da Gama stopped in Mozambique on the way to India in 1498. It was a stop to refuel and rest. What he found was a vibrant trading community between the Arabs and the Swahili communities. By 1505, the Portuguese had taken over the island and controlled the trade in ivory and gold from Africa. They set up a system of "Prazo", wherein Portuguese settlers were given large tracts of land to settle and set up feudal private kingdoms. they intermiarried with the locals and established rule over the locals, collecting taxes and participating in the slave trade. They used a system called "Chibalo," which translates to forced labour, to build railways and work on plantations. After World War II, in 1962, the first liberation struggle occurred and "The 10-year war followed. However, in 1974, the Carnation Revolution overthrew the ruling dictator and immediately ended the colonisation of Mozambique.

It was a horrific and bloody time; the country was left devastated. One of the influences that came back through this trade and colonisation was Mozambique cuisine to Spain.

The primary ingredient they brought to Mozambique was chilli peppers. These chillies grew abundantly and were combined with garlic, lemon, vinegar, and oil to form what is now commonly known as piri piri sauce.

This is a superb dish; the sauce is rich, and the tomato base adds depth to the spiciness. The addition of the African crop okra beautifully highlights the dish's origins. It is a simple dish, but one that pops with flavour, the best kind of small plate to have before a larger dinner.

This cookbook is a collection of 125 of his best recipes, covering traditional and contemporary dishes from Portugal. The recipes range from simple to complex ones with very traditional ingredients. The dishes always turn out spectacular, authentic to tradition, and delicious. This is a lovely cookbook for those who want to delve into the flavours of a nation with a spectacular food scene.

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Ingredients:

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 bay leaf

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

A pinch of smoked paprika

2 ripe tomatoes, pureed

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Salt, to taste

2-3 tablespoons piri piri sauce, to taste

Zest of 1/2 an orange

Zest of 1/2 lime

Cilantro, to garnish

16 baby okra pods, halved longitudinally

16 shrimp, deveined and with tail shell on if preferred

Lime wedges for garnish

Cilantro, minced, for garnish

Method:

In a pot, heat the oil on low. Add the bay leaf, onion, and garlic, and sauté until the onion is very soft, about 2 minutes. Do not let the onions turn colour. Add the paprika, tomatoes, pepper, and salt, and cook for 15 minutes until you have a thick paste and the tomatoes have cooked down into a sauce.

Add the piri piri sauce and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens again. Taste for spice, salt and for a sauce that is popping with flavour. Mix in the orange and lime zests.

Toss the shrimp and okra with the sauce, coating them well. Skewer the shrimp and okra. I usually add 2 shrimp and 2 okras to a skewer. Marinate for at least 1 hour, but longer is better.

To cook, grill on a charcoal grill for 3-4 minutes a side until the okra is soft and the shrimp are cooked through.

Alternatively, you can roast these in the oven. Heat the oven to broil mode with the rack about 12 inches from the top. Layer onto a lined baking sheet, then grill for 10 minutes. Turn over and grill for 6-7 minutes, until charred in spots.

Serve immediately with wedges of lime and cilantro as a garnish.