Seafood Moqueca de Peixe

When I generally think of food that originates from south of our border, cheese, beans, tortillas and all things wonderfully ‘Mexican’ pop into my head.  Believe it or not, Brazilian food is vastly different from Mexican/Central American fare! And even more damaging to my fragile ignorance, Brazil is a huge country with widely regional and diverse food.  Moquecas are a traditional seafood stew that Brazilians have been making for over 300 years, and I was lucky enough to be taught by my friend  Mayra, a student from Brazil  studying in the United States. Here is her take on the traditional seafood Moqeuca.

Fish and Shrimp Moqueca de Peixe

• 1kg of white fish
• .3kg of shrimp (cleaned)
• juice from 2 limes
• 2 large onions
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 tomatoes, skins removed
• 2-3 assorted bell peppers (yellow and red add a nice sweetness)
• 200mL coconut milk (half a can)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp palm oil*
• 1 spicy pepper (de-seeded habanero tastes great)
• bunch of cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• Cooked white rice

*To the ingredients. Palm oil is a red, odorous, and evil looking liquid that is used primarily in West African and Brazilian food.  Mayra said that although you are only adding a tablespoon, it is a must for an authentic Moqueca taste. I would suggest your closest African grocery store if a Brazilian grocer isn’t close by.  As for a spicy pepper, I used a habanero with most of the seeds removed which neuters its heat pretty well.  Add whatever is appropriate for you, but do add a little heat to your dish, it is a nice compliment. Now to the cooking,

You want to start by marinating your fish and shrimp. Squeeze the juice from 1 or 2 limes, depending on how much fish you purchased and how juicy your limes are,  into a bowl. Add minced garlic, the diced habanero pepper, a 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and some salt. Let this sit in the fridge for about half an hour. It would also be a good time to start the water for cooking your rice.

While the fish and shrimp are marinating, start boiling some water to blanch your tomatoes. Mince your onions and  slice your bell peppers into long pieces. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for about a minute until the skin starts to separate and then quickly drop into a bowl of ice or run under cold water.  Remove the skins and blend the tomatoes to a fine puree.

In a large pot drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of the pan and add the onions when the oil is hot. Cook until they become translucent, and then add the tomato puree, sliced bell peppers, any more habanero you want to add, half the coconut milk, the marinated fish/shrimp with juices and another small handful of chopped cilantro.  Cook on low heat for 15 minutes and then add the rest of the coconut milk and the palm oil. Cook until the fish is tender, and then finish the soup with a garnish of fresh cilantro. Serve over rice and enjoy!

I would suggest pairing this meal with a flavorful fruity white wine. I had the luck of being guided to a tasty Spanish white blend by the owner of the nearby liquor store, but stick with something that has some serious flavor, or it will be drowned out by palm oil, coconut milk and spicy flavors.

One last note, when sitting down to dinner, if you manage to knock your friend’s glass of wine into her bowl of soup, do NOT despair. White wine is a good addition to the soup, and not surprisingly, lightens the somewhat heavy flavors. I think this is how they discovered peanut butter. Enjoy!

- Dave