Moqueca Baiana (Brazilian Fish Stew)
Bold, flavorful and exotic, this fish and shrimp stew is one of Brazil's most famous dishes and is always a hit!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sea bass, or other firm white fish, like fresh cod or mahi mahi, rinsed, pin bones removed, cut into large 2 to 3-inch chunks.
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (you can use raw or precooked)
- Juice of one lime
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- About 1/3 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chili pepper, finely chopped (substitute: a pinch of red pepper flakes)
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 large red onion, sliced
- 1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 1 14- ounce can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons dendê, red palm oil, or to taste
- 1 fish, shrimp or vegetable bouillon, crumbled
Equipment
Instructions
- Place fish and shrimp in a large bowl. Season with the lime juice, salt and pepper. Reserve in the fridge.
- In a large clay pot (or dutch oven), heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and chopped chili pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Arrange half of the tomato slices on the bottom of the pot. Then add a layer of half the bell peppers, half the sliced onions, half of the fish, half of the shrimp and 1/3 of the cilantro. Season gently with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Repeat the layering with all the ingredients, making sure to season again at the end. Reserve 1/3 of the cilantro for garnishing before serving.
- Pour the coconut milk, add the dendê oil and the crumbled bouillon, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then cover, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the fish and shrimp are cooked through. Be careful not to overcook it, as you don't want the fish to fall apart. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more dendê oil, if desired.
- Garnish with the reserved cilantro and serve with white rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 709kcal