Brazilian Fish Stew – Moqueca is a beautiful, full flavoured fish stew with coconut milk, heat from chilies, sweetness from the capsicum with a zing of lime juice… such gorgeous flavours all in one bowl.
You could use any seafood/crustacean in this recipe, actually, more the merrier. If I had more on hand I certainly would have thrown them in. I like to keep the fish fillets whole rather than cut into pieces and to very quickly sear the fish and prawns, remove them and then de-glaze the pan with the stock. It’s incredibly fast so just have all your ingredients ready to be thrown into the pan.
Eat it with a bowl of rice, crusty bread or like a soup with rice noodles – yes, not very Brazilian but oh so good!
Ingredients
4 smallish white firm fish fillets (ling, snapper, swordfish all work really well) leave whole or cut in half if big
32 prawns (6 per person) This can be a mix of shelled and whole prawns
1 red onion, cut into wedges
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 green capsicum, thinly sliced
1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1 c fish or chicken stock
400g tin tomato, chopped
1 tbs chilli paste or flakes
1 tbs paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp sugar
1 lime, juiced
200ml coconut milk
1/2 c coriander leaf, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, finely sliced
Method
Cook the onion gently in a little oil for about 10 mins then add the garlic and capsicums, cook for another 3 mins. Remove and set aside
Turn the heat up and add the prawns in batches, quickly brown and then set aside. Brown the fish, quickly and then set aside. You aren’t looking to cook them through, just to brown them as they get cooked again at the end.
De-glaze the pan/wok with the stock then add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Add the chilli paste, both paprika’s, the lime juice and sugar, stir to combine
Pour in the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer
Add the fish and prawns and heat through. Throw in the coriander.
Serve with rice or a crispy bread on the side and sprinkle with the sliced chilli
- 4 smallish white firm fish fillets (ling, snapper, swordfish all work really well) leave whole or cut in half if big
- 32 prawns (6 per person) This can be a mix of shelled and whole prawns
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ green capsicum, thinly sliced
- ½ red capsicum, thinly sliced
- 1 c fish or chicken stock
- 400g tin tomato, chopped
- 1 tbs chilli paste or flakes
- 1 tbs paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 200ml coconut milk
- ½ c coriander leaf, roughly chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced
- Cook the onion gently in a little oil for about 10 mins then add the garlic and capsicums, cook for another 3 mins. Remove and set aside
- Turn the heat up and add the prawns in batches, quickly brown and then set aside. Brown the fish, quickly and then set aside. You aren’t looking to cook them through, just to brown them as they get cooked again at the end.
- De-glaze the pan/wok with the stock then add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Add the chilli paste, both paprika’s, the lime juice and sugar, stir to combine
- Pour in the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer
- Add the fish and prawns and heat through. Throw in the coriander.
- Serve with rice or a crispy bread on the side and sprinkle with the sliced chili