Moqueca (Brazilian fish stew)

This is a great dish to make when you have guests because the last 15 minutes is simply waiting for the seafood to cook, untouched, covered in your Dutch oven. This gives you plenty of time to tend to your guests, set the table, etc. Just plop the Dutch oven on the table and your guests can serve themselves and add any garnishes at the table. Plenty of the prep can be done ahead of time as well to save you time in the kitchen when it’s time to cook, and I am all about that.

This dish is free of all 9 top allergens except for fish and shellfish. It’s so beautifully and simply flavored, and I will attest that my husband who doesn’t like coconut-flavored things doesn’t really detect that in this stew because the other flavors are so potent.

A Dutch oven is important here because of its excellent heat retention. If you do use a regular pot, you may need to toy with the level of heat in step 5. This recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.

Moqueca (Brazilian fish stew)
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp (26-30 per pound), peeled, deveined and tails removed
1 pound skinless cod fillets (3/4 to 1 inch thick), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces.
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk (not “lite”)
2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

1. Toss shrimp and cod with garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper in bowl. Set aside.

2. In a blender, food processor or large container with immersion blender, process onion, tomatoes and their juices and 1/4 cup cilantro/parsley until finely chopped and mixture has texture of pureed salsa, about 30 seconds.

3. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add red and green bell peppers and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened., 5-7 min.

4. Add onion-tomato mixture and 1/2 tsp salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until puree has reduced and thickened slightly, 3-5 min (but pot should not be dry).

5. Increase heat to medium-high, stir in coconut milk, and bring to boil (mixture should be bubbling across the entire surface). Add lime juice and seafood mixture and stir to evenly distribute seafood, making sure all pieces are submerged in the liquid. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp and cod are opaque and just cooked through, 15 minutes.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Distribute into bowls and add garnishes as desired (parsley/cilantro, lime wedges).

Allergens: fish, shellfish