Patê de Feijão Preto, Brazilian Black Bean Pâté
Black beans are the spine of Brazilian cooking, and when they are not simmering into a feijoada they get mashed into patê, a smooth bean spread for bread and crudités. This version borrows the whole flavor language of the feijoada it descends from: bay and cumin in the base, smoked paprika where the cured pork would be, and the bright hit of orange that every Brazilian squeezes over the stew at the table, here folded right into the spread. Warm the beans before you blend them so their starch turns creamy, and leave a few whole for texture. Parsley and scallion, the cheiro-verde that seasons countless Brazilian pots, finish it green and fresh. It is coconut-free, costs about the price of a can of beans, and keeps four days.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Black beans, cooked, from dried or no-salt canned, drained, liquid reserved
- 1/2 Yellow onions, finely diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Bay leave
- 1 tsp Cumin seed, toasted and ground
- 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 Orange, zest of the whole, plus 2 tbsp juice
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 Scallions, sliced, to finish
Method
- Sweat the onion in a pan with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes, adding a splash more water if it sticks. With no oil, the water carries the heat and pulls the sweetness out of the onion, which is the base of the flavor.
- Stir in the garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and the bay leaf and cook for a minute until fragrant. Smoked paprika is standing in for the smoky cured pork that flavors a pot of feijoada, giving the beans that savory depth with no meat.
- Add the drained black beans and a splash of their liquid, warm everything through, then fish out the bay leaf. Warming the beans first loosens their starch so they blend into a silky pâté instead of a stiff paste.
- Scrape most of the beans into a food processor with the orange juice and vinegar and blend smooth, leaving a spoonful of whole beans out to stir back in for texture. Loosen with reserved bean liquid a little at a time until it is soft and spreadable.
- Fold in the orange zest, chopped parsley, and the reserved whole beans. The orange is the same bright note Brazilians squeeze over feijoada at the table, folded straight into the spread, and it does the lifting that salt usually would. Finish with sliced scallions and serve with raw vegetables or whole-grain toast.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 115 calories, 6 g protein, 6 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
