Name: Brazilian Fish Moqueca
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 2 lb firm white fish such as snapper or grouper, cut into 2-inch chunks; 2 limes, juiced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings; 1 red bell pepper, sliced into rings; 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced into rounds; 1 malagueta or fresno chile, minced; 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, divided; 1 (13.5-oz) can coconut milk; 2 tbsp dende (red palm) oil; 2 ripe plantains, yellow with black spots, sliced on the bias; 1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying; 1 cup cassava flour (farinha de mandioca); 3 tbsp unsalted butter; to taste kosher salt

Brazilian Fish Moqueca

4.9 from 309 home cooks Free

From Bahia comes this fragrant fish stew: lime-marinated white fish layered with tomatoes, onions and peppers, then gently simmered in coconut milk and bright orange dende oil. The broth is sweet, tangy and lightly rich. Buttery farofa and golden fried plantains on the side make it a feast.

Prep

45 min

Cook

35 min

Total

1 hr 20 min

Serves

Level

Medium

Cuisine

Brazilian

Method

Step 1: Toss the fish with the lime juice, half the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes; any longer and the lime starts to cook the fish.
Step 2: Warm the olive oil in a clay pot or wide Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the remaining garlic for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and layer in half the onion, pepper and tomato slices, then the fish with its marinade, then the rest of the vegetables. Scatter over the chile and half the cilantro.
Step 3: Pour the coconut milk evenly over the top, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook without stirring for 12 minutes.
Step 4: Drizzle the dende oil over the stew and gently shake the pot to distribute it. Cover and simmer 5 to 8 minutes more, until the fish flakes and the broth is a warm orange. Season with salt and finish with the remaining cilantro.
Step 5: Meanwhile, fry the plantains: heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the slices in a single layer for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until caramelized. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly.
Step 6: For the farofa, melt the butter in a clean skillet over medium-low heat, add the cassava flour and a pinch of salt, and stir constantly for 5 to 6 minutes, until it smells nutty and turns the color of sand.
Step 7: Bring the pot to the table with the lid on, and serve the moqueca over rice if you like, with farofa to sprinkle and plantains on the side.

Kitchen note

Layering instead of stirring lets the vegetables steam the fish from above and below, so the chunks cook through intact rather than breaking into flakes.