Brazilian Sea Bass Food

CHEF JOHN'S BRAZILIAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir just until onions start to get soft, 3 or 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking about 3 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and add soy sauce. When mixture starts to bubble, let it simmer about 5 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and green onions. Let mixture come back to a simmer. Transfer fish to skillet; stir. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until fish starts to flake, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt, cilantro, and lime juice; stir carefully to avoid breaking up the fish. Serve with rice.

LOBSTER AND SEA BASS MOQUECA STEW

Steps:

• Roughly chop nearly all of the cilantro and parsley, reserving a little of each for garnish. Place the cilantro, parsley, garlic, tomatoes, onions, peppers, salt, pepper, and most of the spring onions (reserve some for garnish) into a large heavy bowl. With a pestle, mash together all ingredients, gradually squeezing in the lime juice.
• Score the sea bass diagonally 3 times on each side. Stuff some of the vegetable-herb mixture into the slits and the inside of each fish and close back together. Cover the lobster halves with the vegetable-herb mixture, reserving about half of the vegetable-herb mixture for later.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the sea bass and lobster, flesh side down in the hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes, and then pour over the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. After another 2 minutes, turn over the fish and lobster. Add the remainder of the vegetable-herb mixture, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the fish and lobster are tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
• Transfer to a large serving dish and sprinkle with remaining cilantro, parsley, and spring onions. Ladle dende oil, if using, in a slow circular motion over the top.

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.

SIMPLE OVEN-BAKED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450F°.
• In a cup, mix garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
• Place fish in a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Rub fish with oil mixture.
• (Optional) Pour wine over fish.
• Bake fish, uncovered, for 15 minutes; then sprinkle with parsley or Italian seasoning and continue to bake for 5 more minutes (or until the thickest part of the fish flakes easily).
• Drizzle remaining pan juices over fish and garnish with lemon wedges.
• Enjoy!

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• Make the farofa if desired: Melt butter in a skillet or shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in manioc and cook, stirring, 5 to 8 minutes, until it starts to toast. Cover and keep warm.
• Make the fish broth: Cut each bass fillet in 4 or 5 pieces, cover and refrigerate. Place trimmings in a 3-quart stovetop casserole, preferably an earthenware pot. Lightly salt shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Place shells in the pot. Add 5 cups water; the bay leaves; the turnip; 2 onions, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; half the shishito peppers; the garlic; and half the cilantro and chives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a slit in the skin of the plantain, wrap in foil and bake 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Cool.
• Strain broth into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids and return broth to pot. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
• Slice remaining tomatoes and remaining onion 1/4 inch thick and add to pot. Add bell peppers, Cubanelle peppers, remaining shishito peppers, remaining chives and all but 1 tablespoon remaining cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Peel plantain and slice it 1/2 inch thick. Add to pot. Add coconut milk and dende oil. Add fish and octopus, if using, and simmer 5 minutes. Rinse and dry shrimp and squid, if using, and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes. Check seasonings. Strew remaining cilantro on top, garnish with a red chile and serve over rice directly from the pot, with farofa and piri-piri on the side.