Bobó de camarão (shrimp in cassava cream)

Method

1. Thaw the shrimp in the fridge, peel them and keep the shells and heads; devein. Season the shrimp with the lime juice, salt and black pepper and refrigerate.
2. Make the stock: in a pot over medium heat, heat 30 ml of dendê oil and toast the shells and heads for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until coloured and a browned layer forms on the bottom. Add ½ sliced onion, 1 crushed garlic clove and the bay leaf and stir for 2 minutes. Pour in 1 litre of water little by little, scraping the bottom, and simmer for 30 minutes until reduced by about half. Strain, pressing the shells hard.
3. While the stock simmers, peel the cassava, cut it into 8 cm pieces without the central core and pressure-cook it in water two-thirds of the way up for 15 to 20 minutes once hissing (30 minutes in an ordinary pot), until very soft. Drain.
4. Make fluffy white rice: boil 750 ml of water in a kettle. In a medium pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over low heat and soften ½ onion, finely chopped, with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes; add 300 g of long-grain rice and stir for 1 minute until every grain is coated. Pour in the boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, stir once and cook uncovered over medium heat until the water drops to the level of the rice (about 7 minutes). Lower the heat, half-cover and cook 8 minutes more until dry; turn off the heat, keep covered for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
5. Finely chop 1 onion, dice the pepper and tomato small, and chop 2 garlic cloves and the deseeded chilli. In a large pot with the olive oil, cook the onion and pepper with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes; add the tomato and cook for 4 minutes into a paste. Transfer to a blender with 250 ml of the stock and blend; add the cassava and blend to a smooth cream.
6. In the same pot over medium heat, heat the rest of the dendê and sear the shrimp in batches without crowding, 1 minute per side. Lift them into a bowl with any liquid they release.
7. Fry the garlic and chilli for 1 minute; add the remaining stock, scraping the bottom. Lower the heat, add the cassava cream and season with salt. When it boils, add the coconut milk and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.
8. Return the shrimp with their liquid and heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the chopped coriander, adjust the salt and serve with the rice.