Escondidinho

Escondidinho is a Brazilian baked casserole of seasoned meat covered with a thick layer of mashed cassava or potato. Its name means "hidden" in Portuguese, because the filling is covered by the mash.

What it really is

The classic version is made with dried beef (carne seca), shredded and cooked with onion, garlic, tomato and sweet pepper until dry and well flavoured. Cooked cassava is mashed with butter, milk and salt, and spread over the meat in a dish. Cheese, usually a melting cheese such as mozzarella or a cheese of the Minas type, is scattered on top, and the dish is baked until the top is golden. Versions with chicken, minced beef or sun-dried meat are also common.

Escondidinho is a baked casserole, not a pie made with pastry. Its close relative, the escondidinho of cassava, is the same idea in its usual form: meat under mash. Shepherd's pie is a similar layered dish, but it uses potato and minced lamb or beef and has no cheese in the classic form.

How it's served

• Served hot from the baking dish, usually as a main course with rice and beans or a green salad.
• Eaten with a spoon, with the mash and the meat taken together in each mouthful.
• Often shared at a lunch table in Brazilian homes and casual restaurants.
• Hot pepper sauce is commonly offered on the side.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main filling and the base: for example, "Escondidinho de carne seca with cassava mash and melted cheese".
• State the dairy: butter, milk and cheese are used, so the dish contains milk.
• Say whether the mash is cassava or potato, as the two are often confused.
• Specify the meat if it is not dried beef, such as chicken or minced beef.