Bahian chicken in shrimp and cashew sauce (Xinxim de galinha)

1. Halve the chicken legs at the joint, rub with the lime juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Soak the dried shrimp in lukewarm water for 10 minutes, then drain; toast the cashews and peanuts in a dry pan until fragrant and grind them with the shrimp in a food processor to coarse crumbs.

3. Heat the palm oil (dendê) in a large pot and soften the finely chopped onions and grated ginger for 5 minutes. Instead of palm oil, olive oil mixed with 1 tsp paprika can be used.

4. Add the chicken, brown it on all sides for 5 minutes, then pour in the water, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

5. Stir in the shrimp and nut crumbs and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and creamy; if too thick, loosen with a little water.

6. Season with salt, sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve with white rice and farofa.

Tip: Dried shrimp give Bahian cooking its typical deep, sea flavour – they're easy to find in Asian shops.