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Sagu de vinho
Sagu de vinho: gaúcho dessert of tapioca pearls cooked in red wine with sugar and clove
Glossy, wine-dark and wobbling with little translucent pearls, sagu is the dessert of the serra gaúcha, the Italian-settled wine country around Caxias do Sul and Bento Gonçalves, where it ends Sunday lunch at family tables and galeteria buffets. Tapioca pearls are cooked until clear, then simmered in red wine with sugar, cloves and cinnamon so they soak up the colour and spice. Locally it comes with a spoon of vanilla custard on top. The dish contains red wine, and simmering does not remove all the alcohol; for an alcohol-free version, use red grape juice and cut the sugar by half. Choose a vegan wine if that matters to you, as some are fined with egg or fish products. The common mistake is adding the wine before the pearls are clear, which leaves white chalky centres. Chef's tip: rinse the cooked pearls under cold water before they go into the wine, so the starch washes off and the dessert stays glossy.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 6 ¼ cups water to the boil in a large pan over a high heat. Pour in 7 oz small tapioca pearls (sagu), stir well and lower the heat to a simmer.
5 minStep 2: Cook for 20–25 minutes, stirring often so the pearls don't stick, until they are almost completely clear with only a tiny white dot in the centre.
22 minStep 3: Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold running water for 30 seconds, until the pearls separate and the cloudy starch is gone.
Step 4: Put 2 ½ cups red wine, 7 oz sugar, 6 whole cloves and 1 cinnamon stick in the pan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
4 minStep 5: Add the pearls and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until they are fully clear, deep red and the liquid has thickened to a light syrup.
12 minStep 6: Remove the spices, pour into a bowl or glasses and cool. Chill for at least 2 hours, until set and wobbly; it thickens a lot as it chills.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sagu de vinho take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of red wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp red wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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