Brazilian Seafood Soup

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN SEAFOOD STEW)

Steps:

• Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut along the length of each prawn deep enough to expose and remove the vein. Place the fish chunks in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and toss to coat. Set the prawns and fish aside while preparing the sauce.
• In a large, shallow Dutch oven or large, deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons dendê oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onion, stir and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Increase the heat to high, add the peppers, tomatoes and chile. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are softened and any liquid from the tomatoes is beginning to evaporate, 4 minutes.
• Pour in the coconut milk, stir and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and reduces to a creamy sauce, about 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt, if necessary, and stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.
• Carefully place the prawns in the sauce in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the prawns to cook the other sides and add the cod. (Discard any juices in the bowl.) The fish will be partly submerged. Cook until the fish is tender and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon dendê oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Slice the remaining lime into wedges. Serve immediately, with steamed rice and lime wedges for squeezing.

BRAZILIAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• Stir together the lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the tilapia and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Quickly fry the onions in the oil 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the bell peppers, tilapia, and diced tomatoes to the pot in succeeding layers. Pour the coconut milk over the mixture. Cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro and continue cooking until the tilapia is completely cooked through, another 5 to 10 minutes.

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.

BRAZILIAN SEAFOOD SOUP

Steps:

• 1.Marinate the Seafood: In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the shells and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 2.Meanwhile, Make the Shrimp Stock: In a large saucepan, cover the shrimp shells with the water. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes. Let cool. Strain the stock. 3.Make the Soup: In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour; whisk over moderately low heat until foamy, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk; whisk over high heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and keep warm. 4.In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the dendê oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add half of the tomatoes and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the marinated seafood and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the soup and simmer until the seafood is just cooked, 6 minutes. Stir in the cilantro. 5.Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of dendê oil. Add the hearts of palm and the remaining tomatoes, season with salt and cook over high heat until warmed through, 1 minute. Spoon the Coconut-Cashew Rice into shallow bowls and ladle the soup on top. Garnish with the hearts of palm and tomatoes and serve. Make Ahead The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight.

BRAZILIAN SHRIMP SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
• Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just done, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.

BRAZILIAN SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• Whisk 2 tablespoons oil and lime juice in large bowl. Add fish and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; stir to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, garlic and crushed red pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, coconut milk, half of cilantro and half of green onions. Add shrimp and fish with marinade. Simmer until shrimp and fish are just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Season stew with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and green onions.