In Brazil, they make moqueca (pronounced "mo-KEH-kah"), a stew made with fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and in the northern state of Bahia, coconut milk.
We love making fish stew, but had never thought to use a base of coconut milk. Since then, every Brazilian I've met, when the conversation turns to food (as it invariably does), their eyes light up at the mention of moqueca.س
A few words about this recipe. First, it's easy. You probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry (you'll want to get fresh fish), and with prep, making rice, the total time involved is less than an hour.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, or cod, rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped spring onion, or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup green onion greens, chopped
- 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, chopped (or sliced)
- 2 cups chopped (or sliced) tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon paprika (Hungarian sweet)
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped with some set aside for garnish
- 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
How to Cook:
# Coat fish with garlic and lime juice; Place fish pieces in a bowl, add the minced garlic and lime juice so that the pieces are well coated. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper.
# Make rice for serving with soup; If you are planning on serving the soup with rice, start on the rice. Bring a couple cups of water to a boil. Heat one Tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium high heat. Add the chopped 1/2 onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the raw white rice and stir to coat completely with the oil, onions, and garlic.
Add the boiling water. (The amount depends on your brand of rice, check the package. If no amounts are given, add 1 3/4 cup of water for every cup of rice.) Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes, after which, remove from heat until ready to serve with the soup.
Escondidinho de frango com mandioca
