A thick, smooth porridge made by stirring cassava flour into rich fish broth until it forms a stretchy, polenta-like accompaniment that absorbs sauces beautifully.
Instructions
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1
Bring fish broth to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan.
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2
Add palm oil and salt.
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3
Reduce heat to medium. Gradually sprinkle in cassava flour while stirring vigorously.
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4
Stir continuously for 8-10 min until the mixture is very thick, smooth, and pulls away from the sides.
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5
Shape into mounds on plates or serve in a communal bowl alongside fish stew.
Did You Know?
The mark of a skilled Sao Tomean cook is a lump-free pirao — it takes years of practice to add the flour at exactly the right speed while stirring.
The Story Behind Pirão
Pirao connects Sao Tome to both African and Brazilian food traditions, arriving through the transatlantic routes that linked these cultures. Made from cassava, the indigenous American tuber that was carried to Africa by Portuguese traders, pirao is a dish whose very existence traces the colonial exchange routes. On Sao Tome it is the essential accompaniment to calulu and other fish stews.
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