Brazilian Fish Stew Moqueca Baiana Food

MOQUECA DE PEIXE BAIANA (BRAZILIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• Rinse sea bass under running cold water; pat dry. Place in a shallow dish and season with lime juice, garlic, and salt. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add grated onion and cook for a few seconds. Add fish and marinade to the skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in palm oil and onion rings, followed by water and coconut milk. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions; cover and cook until vegetables are soft and flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes.

MOQUECA BAIANA (BRAZILIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• 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.

BAHIA-STYLE MOQUECA PRAWN STEW

Steps:

• Place the prawns in a bowl with 2 tbsp of the lime juice, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of the chopped garlic. Chill for 1 hr.
• Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add the spring onion and onion and fry for 5 mins, then add the red pepper, chilli flakes, paprika and remaining garlic.
• Pour in the tomatoes, coconut milk and a little salt. Bring to a simmer and let reduce for 10 mins. Add the prawns, all the marinade and remaining lime juice. Gently simmer until the prawns turn white, about 3 mins. Serve with the fresh coriander and rice.

BRAZILIAN FISH STEW (MOQUECA CAPIXABA)

Steps:

• Pat fish fillets dry and put in a bowl. Stir together lime juice, malagueta peppers, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, then pour over fish and toss to combine. Marinate, covered and chilled, 30 minutes. Add shrimp and chill at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 1/2 hours more.
• Put tomatoes in bottom of a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Top with onion and remaining tablespoon garlic, then sprinkle with bell peppers. Place plantains on top of vegetables. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange fish in 1 layer on top of plantain. Sprinkle cilantro and parsley over fish, then arrange shrimp in 1 layer over herbs, reserving marinade. Pour oil and marinade evenly over mixture in pot.
• Bring to a simmer, then cover pot. Adjust heat to gently simmer until vegetables are softened and have released liquid and fish is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Serve stew over soft manioc polenta .

BRAZILIAN FISH STEW (MOQUECA DE PEIXE)

Steps:

• Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the onion, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, and bay leaf; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Increase heat to medium-high; add tomato, and cook 2 minutes.
• Add 1/4 cup cilantro, clam juice, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Discard bay leaf.
• Place one-third of vegetable mixture in a blender, and puree until smooth.
• Pour pureed vegetable mixture into pan. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable mixture.
• Add coconut milk and red pepper to pureed vegetable mixture.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes. Add fish mixture; cook 3 minutes or until fish is done.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro.

BAHIAN BRASILIAN FISH STEW, DECORATED WITH BOILED EGGS (MOQUECA

Steps:

• Set eggs on to boil.
• Stir together the lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper in a non-reactive bowl. Add the Tilapia and GENTLY toss with your fingers to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes being careful not to let the fish "cook" in the lime juice.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and the diced chilies until onions are transparent and beginning to lightly brown. Wash hands thoroughly after handling the chilies.
• Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the tomato paste.
• Add the bell peppers and diced tomatoes to the pot in succeeding layers. Pour the coconut milk over the mixture. Stir well but gently.
• Cover the pot and simmer on lowest heat for 15- 30 minutes or until the peppers are at a consistency you like, stirring occasionally.
• Gently add the fish, marinade and 2/3 of the chopped and stemmed cilantro and continue cooking until the fish is thoroughly cooked. Allow 5-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.
• Ladle or gently pour the Moqueca into a large serving bowl, garnish with boiled egg wedges on top and finish with remaining chopped cilantro.
• Serve over white rice, with lime wedges. Side dishes: sauteed collards or spinach and garlic. For dessert, cold orange slices. Also a good accompaniment: Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo) ( it's gluten/wheat free)!
• Slow Cooker Variation:.
• Place ALL ingredients including the marinade in the slow cooker EXCEPT the FISH pieces and cilantro). Cook 6 to 8 hours (overnight) on low and then to WARM.
• 1 hour prior to serving, return cooker to LOW: ADD half the cilantro and the fish.
• Gently spoon sauce over fish pieces and allow fish to cook for 1 hour until the fish is cooked through. Garnish and serve as described above.