Brazilian moqueca, a fish stew made with firm white fish, onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, coriander and coconut milk.
It seems like every culture with a coast has their version of a seafood stew. The French have bouillabaise, the Portuguese have bacalhoada, New England chowder, and San Francisco cioppino.
In Brazil, they make moqueca (pronounced “mo-KEH-kah”), a stew made with fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and in the northern state of Bahia, coconut milk.
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Moqueca – Brazilian fish stew
My first encounter with moqueca was a salmon version of the stew prepared by Brazilian blogger Fernanda from Chucrute com Salsicha. So good!
We love fish stew but never thought of using a coconut milk base. Since then, every Brazilian I’ve met has had their eyes light up when the conversation turns to food (as it always does) at the mention of moqueca.
A few words about this recipe. First, it’s easy. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry (you want fresh fish) and with the prep, the rice making, the total time is less than an hour.
Second, since this is an American website, we are dealing with ingredients that we can get here. Genuine Bahian moqueca is made from fish caught off the coast of northern Brazil.
You can also add shrimp or other shellfish to this stew. Palm oil is traditionally used to make moqueca, but it’s hard to come by here, so we use olive oil.
Finally, adjust the spices to taste! If it doesn’t seem flavorful enough to you, you need to add more salt. And probably some more lime or lemon juice and paprika too.
To all Brazilians reading this blog (Ole Ola Brasil!), if you have a favorite moqueca recipe, please let us know in the comments.
CONTINUE READING:
Moqueca (Brazilian fish stew)
Traditional moqueca uses palm oil. If you can find it (I checked three stores here and couldn’t find any), add just a tablespoon to the stew along with the coconut milk.
ingredients
- Soup
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1 1/2 to 2 pound fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish or cod, rinsed in cold water, boned and cut into large portions
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3 garlic cloves, chopped
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4 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
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Salt
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Freshly ground black pepper
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Extra virgin olive oil
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1 cup chopped spring onion or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
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1/4 cup spring onion greens, chopped
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1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, destalked, chopped (or sliced)
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2 cups chopped (or sliced) tomatoes
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1 tablespoon paprika (Hungarian sweet)
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Mash red pepper flakes
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1 large bunch coriander, chopped and some set aside for garnish
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1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
- rice
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1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
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1/2 onion, chopped
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1 garlic clove, chopped
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1 cup white rice
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1 3/4 cups boiling water (check your rice packaging for the correct liquid to rice ratio for the type of rice you are using)
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1 teaspoon of salt
method
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Rub fish with garlic and lime juice
Put the pieces of fish in a bowl, add the chopped garlic and lime juice so that the pieces are well coated. Salt and pepper generously all over.
Keep cool while preparing the rest of the soup.
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Prepare rice to serve with the soup
If you want to serve the soup with rice, start with the rice.
Bring a few cups of water to a boil. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped 1/2 onion and cook, stirring, until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, until garlic is fragrant. Add the raw white rice and stir to coat completely with the oil, onion, and garlic.
Add the boiling water. (Amount depends on your brand of rice, check package. If amounts aren’t listed, add 1 3/4 cup water for each cup of rice.) Stir in 1 teaspoon salt.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat until ready to serve with the soup.
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Start cooking the onion, peppers, tomatoes, onion greens
In a large non-stick pan (such as a Dutch oven), brush the bottom with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until soft. Add paprika, paprika and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. (At least a teaspoon of salt.) Simmer for a few more minutes until the peppers begin to soften.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and onion greens. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in chopped coriander.
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Layer vegetables with fish, add coconut milk
Using a large spoon, remove about half the veggies (you’ll put them right back in). Spread the remaining vegetables on the bottom of the pan to create a bed for the fish.
Arrange the pieces of fish on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then add back the previously removed vegetables and cover the fish.
Pour coconut milk over the fish and vegetables.
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Simmer, cook, season
Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust spices.
You may need to add more salt (probably), lime or lemon juice, paprika, pepper or chilli flakes to flavor the soup to your liking.
Garnish with coriander. Serve with rice or crusty bread.
Links:
Salmon Moqueca here on Simply Recipes
Fascinating account of the origins of Moqueca
