Moqueca Bahaiana (Brazilian Fish Stew)
Moqueca Baiana (Brazilian Fish Stew
This recipe is from Beatriz Almeida, a chef from Brazil and it's her mother's recipe. She says that it's the version from the northern region of Brazil (Bahia). I met Beatriz in New York City where she works as a bartender. (She got tired of the routine of being a chef.)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds cod or other white fish filet
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 green pepper, sliced in rings
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced in rings
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in rings
- olive oil
- 1 juice of one lime
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (use fine stems for flavor)
- 14 oz. canned coconut milk
- 1 or 2 Thai red chili, finely sliced (Optional)
- 3 tbs; Palm oil
- 1 Plantain, sliced
Instructions
- In a bowl, season the fish with half the garlic, the lime juice, salt and black pepper.
- Heat a pot and coat it with olive oil. Add the onions, the rest of the garlic and cook for about 4 minutes in medium heat. Add the peppers and cook for about 5 minutes more or until the vegetables begin to get soft. Turn down the heat.
- Take half the vegetables out of the pot and reserve as a side. Spread the remaining vegetables, add a layer of tomato slices on top, layer the fish, the rest of the tomatoes, the reserved vegetables and the chili, if using.
- Add the coconut milk and salt, cover the pot and cook at medium heat until it comes to a boil. Turn down the heat, add the palm oil and cook for about 5 minutes. (Or until the fish is cooked.) Then, add, the cilantro and cook for 2 more minutes.
- While the fish is cooking, heat a frying pan, add some olive oil and fry the plantain slices until browned on each side. Set aside as a garnish for the moqueca.
- Dish the moqueca, garnish with some plantain slices and sprinkle with diced cilantro. Serve with white rice.
