BRAZILIAN FISH STEW/ MOQUECA DE PEIXE

As I went through pages of The Brazilian Kitchen cookbook, I noticed that Brazilian eat lots of stew. Have you noticed that the past two recipes I fixed also stew-like ? The author, Leticia Moreinos Schwartz mentioned that as well. Stew is something comforting and you don’t need snows piling on your driveways to be eating stews.

Fish Stew couldn’t be more Brazilian. Moqueca is originally from the state of Bahia in Brazil. The fish stew looks like a fish curry. The recipe does call for a little bit of coconut milk, however, ingredients that were used in Brazilian fish stew is not curry-like for sure. That creaminess of coconut milk and how light this dish actually tastes is simply wonderful. It somehow tasted like a fusion cuisine , which I like. Another keeper!

BRAZILIAN FISH STEW/ MOQUECA DE PEIXE (4 servings)

1 scallion (white and green parts),chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
5 Tbsp of dende oil – I can’t find any, so I just used olive oil
Another 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbsp freshly chopped cilantro
1 1/4 lbs sea bass, cut into 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup freshly chopped green pepper
1/3 cup freshly chopped yellow pepper
1 1/2 cups fish stock
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup canned or jarred hearts of palm, drained and diced
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced

COOKING METHOD:

1. Prepare the marinade for the fish: in a bowl, mix together half of the scallion, half of the onion, half of the ginger, and half of the garlic. Add 4 Tbsp of the olive oil (2 Tbsp of dende oil if using and another 2 Tbsp of olive oil), and half of the cilantro. Place the fish chunks in a ziplock bag and add the marinade. Rub it around the fish so it is well distributed. Remove all the air from the plastic bag and seal it well. Place the fish in the refrigerator, making sure it is covered by the marinade, and let it rest for at least 3 hours

2. Take the fish out of the fridge 30 minutes before using. Preheat the oven to 350 F

3. Place 3 Tbsp of dende oil (if using) or olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the remaining scallion, onion, and the green and yellow peppers, and cook until they are soft, about 3 minutes

4. Add the remaining ginger and garlic and mix well. Cook for another minute or until it’s hot. Add the fish stock and let it come to a full boil. Add the coconut milk and tomato paste and let it come to a full boil, then lower the heat to simmer the sauce nice and gently

5. In the meantime, spread the fish and marinade in gratin dish. Pour the lemon juice on top and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until almost done, 10 to 12 minutes

6. Carefully transfer each chunk of fish into the pan with the sauce. Pour in any remaining juices from the fish and marinade. Braise the fish in the sauce over low heat with the pan covered, until the fish is soft and tender, 5 to 8 minutes

7. Uncover the pan, add the hearts of palm and tomatoes, and let them get hot

8. Taste the sauce, then season it with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or farofa