Enjoy this incredible recipe from the heart of Brazil.
Camaroes com Catupiry na Abobora
(Portugese Translation? Shrimp with Cream Cheese in a Pumpkin!)
Only my brother Pedro could bring such an amazing dish to our table from Brasil. It is however not so difficult to make and is absolutely decadent, especially as we enter the “chilly” Holiday months here in Arizona.
Ingredients
- 8oz muenster cheese
- 16oz cream cheese
- 2 sugar pumpkins, about 4# each
- 3# shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 bunches of scallions, sliced thin
- 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 28oz canned tomato puree
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For Catupiry:
Melt cheeses together in a heavy saucepan, stirring often over low heat until blended and smooth. Set aside to cool. This can be done ahead; you may not use all of it but it all depends on the size of your pumpkins.
For Pumpkins:
Cut out the tops and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Season the insides with the salt and pepper, put the lids back on and bake at 350°. These need to be almost fully cooked, when the flesh is getting soft on the inside and the rind becomes a toasty color. They should be holding their shape. Check them often.
For Filling:
Saute onions in a little olive oil until golden, then add garlic and scallions and continue to cook until they are beginning to brown. Add cilantro, parsley, tomatoes, coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste then simmer until flavors have melded. If it gets too thick add water as needed. It needs to be a stew-like consistency. Add shrimp and simmer until cooked through.
To Assemble:
Smear Catupiry in a thin coating around the inside of both pumpkins, reserving enough to cover the pumpkin openings. Fill pumpkins with shrimp mixture. Cover with remaining Catupiry. Cover with pumpkin tops and back at 350° until heated through and bubbling. Serve from the pumpkins, making sure you scrape out pumpkin flesh along with the filling. The flavors are amazing! Serve with a little rice and extra cilantro and parsley if desired.
