This Brazilian dish may contain a few unexpected or even unfamiliar ingredients, but they are easy to find online and worth the search. The result is a tropical fish stew mellowed by slices of plantain and coconut milk and accompanied by the traditional hot sauce called piri-piri and farofa, the toasted cassava-meal accompaniment. Farofa is served all over South America with all kinds of dishes; this version, with caramelized onions adapted from Felipe Amaral in Rio de Janeiro, was my favorite. You can serve the moqueca without the farofa, if you prefer, but it helps to sop up the soupy liquid from the stew.
Provided by Florence Fabricant
Categories soups and stews, main course
Time 2h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
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.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 696, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 62 grams, Fat 33 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 41 grams, SaturatedFat 21 grams, Sodium 1288 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams
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Ansune Potgieter
[email protected]This moqueca is a must-try for seafood lovers. The flavors are incredible and the fish is cooked to perfection.
Kgolagano Kotsedi
[email protected]I'm so glad I found this recipe! I've been looking for a good moqueca recipe for a long time.
Landon Brown
[email protected]This moqueca is the perfect comfort food. It's warm and flavorful, and it always makes me feel happy.
coco lou シ
[email protected]I love the vibrant colors of this moqueca! The red peppers and tomatoes make it so visually appealing.
Tobi Bellos
[email protected]This is a great recipe for a weeknight meal. It's quick and easy to make, and the flavors are amazing.
Kelly Adewale
[email protected]I made this moqueca with shrimp instead of fish and it was delicious! The shrimp cooked quickly and the overall flavor of the dish was fantastic.
mbambuhanifah2gmall.com2
[email protected]This moqueca was easy to make and so flavorful! I love the combination of the coconut milk and the tomatoes.
Abu Kahhar
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and the moqueca turned out great! The flavors were well-balanced and the fish was cooked through but still moist.
Dip Biswas
[email protected]This is the best moqueca I have ever had! The flavors are incredible and the fish is cooked to perfection. I highly recommend this recipe.
Minhazur Rahman
[email protected]I made this moqueca for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! Everyone loved the unique flavors and the beautiful presentation.
Roselyn Curtis
[email protected]This moqueca was absolutely delicious! The flavors were so rich and complex, and the fish was cooked perfectly. I will definitely be making this again.