ANGOLA: Piri Piri Shrimp (Camarões Piri-Piri) and Fennel and Lemon Salad (Limão e Salada de Funcho)

This was simple to make, light, and delicious. While the shrimp preparation was not new to us, the fennel salad was. I can see it being a quick way to add some brightness to any winter meal!

Piri piri sauce, or molho de piri-piri, is made from piri-piri peppers and quite common in Angola, Mozambique, and Portugal, where it is used both as a marinade and a condiment. The sauce was originally produced by Portuguese explorers in their former African territories, then spread to other Portuguese domains. The sauce is sold in many supermarkets throughout the world, but if you cannot find it, I included a recipe for a quick-to-make riff on it below.

Piri Piri Shrimp (Camarões Piri-Piri)

2 lbs large tail-on shrimp, deveined and peeled

½ lime

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup piri piri sauce (also spelled peri-peri or pili-pili) or from recipe below

2 cups cooked white rice for serving, optional

additional piri piri sauce for serving, optional

chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish, optional

1. Mix together juice from the ½ lime, the salt, and 2 tablespoons piri piri sauce. Marinate the shrimp for 30 minutes-2 hours.

2. Turn your broiler on high or preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high.

3. If broiling, place shrimp in a single layer on a baking tray with shallow sides (a half sheet pan or shallow casserole dish works). If grilling, thread onto either metal or pre-soaked wooden skewer.

4. Brush the top side of shrimp with the remaining 2 tablespoons of piri piri sauce. Either broil 4-6 minutes without flipping or grill 2-3 minutes on each side. Shrimp are done when they turn pink, and are opaque throughout.

5. Serve shrimp over rice, with additional sauce on the side.

Lemon Salad (Limão e Salada de Funcho)

1 medium fennel bulb with fronds

1 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

additional Parmesan from a block of cheese, to garnish, optional

1. Wash the fennel bulb. Remove enough fronds to chop into 2 tablespoons. Set the chopped fronds aside. Trim the fennel bulb, cut it in half lengthwise, and slice into super thin slices.

2. Place the fennel slices into a medium mixing bowl. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from both halves overtop of the sliced fennel. Drizzle on the olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese and reserved chopped fennel fronds over the slices. Mix again and for seasoning.

3. If using Parmesan to garnish, use a vegetable peeler to peel large strips of the cheese overtop of the prepared salad.

Easy Piri Piri Sauce

4 Fresno peppers*

2 cloves garlic

½ small shallot

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 lemon

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

*If you do not like heat, you can use 2 seeded Fresno peppers with ½ red bell pepper.

1. Stem and seed the peppers, and slice. Peel and chop the garlic and shallot.

2. Put all ingredients into a small food processor or blender. Pulse until is forms smooth sauce.

3. Put all into a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

4. Leftover sauce will save in fridge for about 2 weeks.

#piripiri #pilipili #shrimp #fennel #lemon #angola

FUN FACTS:

• The dreadlocks hairstyle originated in Angola, where it was worn by the early tribes of the country.

• It is illegal to take the local currency, the Kwanza (AOA), out of the country.

• Luanda, the capital of Angola, has frequently been ranked as the most expensive city in the world for expatriates, particularly during the mid-2010s.