BrazilLatin America

Moqueca de Peixe

Name: Moqueca de Peixe
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 680 g Cod fillet, cut into large chunks; 2 Lime, juiced; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 1½ tsp Table salt, divided; 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp Paprika, for color; 1 Yellow onion, sliced into rings; 400 g Roma tomatoes, sliced; 1 Red bell pepper, sliced into rings; 1 Green bell pepper, sliced into rings; 13½ fl oz Coconut milk (canned), one can; ½ cup Cilantro, chopped; 1½ cups Long-grain white rice, uncooked, for serving

1 hrServes 4$60.62

Firm white fish marinated with lime and garlic is layered in a pot with onion, tomato, and bell pepper and simmered gently in coconut milk until just cooked, then finished with cilantro and served with rice. Olive oil with a little paprika stands in for dendê (red palm oil), which is not stocked at the reference store, so the palm-oil flavor of the Bahian version is absent.

Ingredients

680 gCod filletcut into large chunksBuy 2 packages
2Limejuiced
3 clovesGarlicmincedBuy 1 head
1½ tspTable saltdividedBuy 1 canister
3 tbspExtra virgin olive oilBuy 1 bottle
1 tspPaprikafor colorBuy 1 jar
1Yellow onionsliced into ringsBuy 0.32 lb
400 gRoma tomatoesslicedBuy 0.89 lb
1Red bell peppersliced into rings
1Green bell peppersliced into rings
13½ fl ozCoconut milk (canned)one canBuy 1 can
½ cupCilantrochoppedBuy 1 bunch
1½ cupsLong-grain white riceuncooked, for servingBuy 1 bag

Substitution

Extra virgin olive oil in place of “Dendê (red palm oil)”. Olive oil, with a teaspoon of paprika for color, replaces dendê, which is not stocked at the reference store; the stew loses the distinctive flavor and orange color of palm oil.

Method

Toss the fish with the lime juice, garlic, and half the salt; marinate 20 minutes.
Cook the rice according to its package directions.
Warm the olive oil with the paprika in a wide pot, then layer half the onion, tomato, and peppers, then the fish, then the remaining vegetables.
Pour over the coconut milk with the remaining salt, cover, and simmer gently without stirring until the fish is just cooked, 15 to 20 minutes.
Scatter with cilantro and serve with rice.