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Brazil · Armored Catfish

Brazilian Armored Catfish Broth

Caldo de Cascudo

In the river towns of central Brazil, caldo de cascudo is the bowl people swear by after a long night: the little armored catfish cooked whole until its sweet meat falls into a golden broth.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 50 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Julia Filirovska · Pexels
Served with: Brazilian Fish-Broth Porridge ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the broth

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Clean the fish. Scrub the armor under running water, rub the fish with lime and salt and rinse again. Leave them whole.
  2. Make the base. Heat the oil in a big pot and cook the onion, garlic and bell pepper 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, colorau and hot pepper and cook 5 more minutes until saucy.
  3. Simmer. Add the fish and the water, bring to a boil, then simmer gently 35–40 minutes until the meat comes away from the armor when you poke it.
  4. Pick the meat. Lift out the fish, split the belly plates with a heavy knife and scrape the meat back into the pot. Discard the shells and bones. Taste for salt.
  5. Serve. Stir in the cheiro-verde and serve hot in bowls, with pirão made from a ladle of the broth.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Brazil

Brazilian Fish-Broth Porridge

Pirão

Hot fish broth thickened with cassava flour into a silky, savory porridge. Along the Brazilian coast it is served with moqueca and peixada so nothing from the fish goes to waste.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Serves 4–6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 1–1½ lb (450–700 g) fish heads and frames, gills removed
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (130 g) fine cassava flour (farinha de mandioca fina)

How to make it

  1. Make the broth. Simmer the fish heads and frames in the water with a pinch of salt for 25 minutes. Strain, saving 4 cups of broth. Pick off any meat to add back.
  2. Season. In a pot, cook the onion in the olive oil 4 minutes, add the garlic and tomato and cook 3 minutes more. Add the broth, salt and cilantro and bring to a boil.
  3. Thicken. Lower the heat and rain in the cassava flour, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Cook 5–8 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy like soft polenta.
  4. Serve. Stir in the picked fish meat and serve hot with fish stew and rice.

Photo: Just a Brazilian man from Brazil · CC BY 2.0

More ways to cook Armored Catfish

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Goiás, BrazilArmored Catfish Roasted in Its Shell over Coals
Honda, Tolima, ColombiaColombian Stewed Cucha in Hogao
Arauca, ColombiaLlanero Grilled Corroncho with Ají