Moqueca de Peixe is a typical dish from Bahia. The cuisine from Bahia is known for its exotic flavors. A good desert for this meal is Brazilian ambrosia.
You can find dendĂȘ oil, (palm oil) online at the AmigoFoods website. Click HERE to see their assortment of dendIe oils. I used the Pirata brand for this recipe but any Brazilian dendĂȘ oil will work.
You can also find Malagueta pepper at the same AmigoFoods website. Chick HERE to see all the Malagueta peppers they sell.
What You Need:
- 2 pounds fish fillet (grouper, cod, scrod, haddock or any kind of firm white-flesh fish)
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons + 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) or parsley or both
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 2 roman tomatoes seeded and thinly sliced (better without the skin)
- 1 small green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow (or orange) bell pepper thinly sliced
- 13.5oz (400 ml) coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon 'dendĂȘ oil' (palm tree oil)
- 2 teaspoons Malagueta pepper
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- If the onion and pepper slices are cut too thick the fish will cook but not the veggies so make sure you cut them thin.
- If you like thick sauces - Some people like the moqueca juices 'liquidy' and some like it thicker. To make the moqueca thicker, after it is ready, add a mix of 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir gently for a few seconds until the liquids thicken.
Serve 6
What To Do:
Gather your ingredients.
Wash the fish fillets under running water and dry with paper towels.
Cut the fish into small cubes and rub the fish with the lemon, garlic, salt and black pepper. If possible let it marinade covered for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
You can also leave the fillets whole but if the fish is too thick I like to cut in small squares.
Place two tablespoons olive oil at the bottom of a wide pan.
Put a layer of 1/3 of the onions, and 1/3 of each bell pepper (green, red and orange) in a large sauce pan.
Put half the fish on top.
Assemble one more layer of 1/3 of the onions and peppers, half the tomatoes, half of the green onions, and half of the coriander.
Add the rest of the fish.
Top with the rest of the onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, green onion and coriander.
Add the tomato sauce, coconut milk ...
dendĂȘ oil.
If you want you can add Malagueta pepper now or you can add it later on your plate. The amount will depend on how spicy you like your dish.
and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Put the pan over high heat and let it boil.
Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Some people like the moqueca with a thin sauce but I like it with a thicker sauce, so I add 1/4 cup milk with 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the pan.
Let it boil until it thickens.
NOTE: As I said in the notes above if you want a thicker moqueca add now 2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons milk. Stir gently until it is thicker.
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| Fish Moqueca with garlic rice and roasted asparagus |
Add malagueta pepper
and Bon Appétit!
More serving suggestions:
- Serve with Brazilian Garlic Rice and any green vegetable for a more international palate. I like it with Roasted Asparagus.
- In Brazil we usually serve FAROFA as a side for moqueca. Farofa is made with manioc flour mixed with some seasoning like onions and dendĂȘ oil. You can find manioc flour in many latino markets
- If you do not like bell pepper you can use zucchini instead. That's how I made the moqueca in the picture below.
- Serve with wines that are a little bit acidic to counter the fat of the coconut milk like Sauvignon Blanc.
- Suggestions for desert are AMBROSIA or QUINDIM.
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| Fish Moqueca made with zucchini instead of bell peppers |
Brazilian Moqueca de Peixe Recipe
What You Need:
- 2 pounds fish fillet (grouper, cod, scrod, haddock or any kind of firm white-flesh fish)
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons + 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) or parsley or both
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 2 roman tomatoes seeded and thinly sliced (better without the skin)
- 1 small green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small yellow (or orange) bell pepper thinly sliced
- 13.5oz (400 ml) coconut milk
- 2 tablespoon 'dendĂȘ oil' (palm tree oil)
- 2 teaspoons Malagueta pepper
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
What To Do:
Wash the fish fillets and dry with paper towels.
Cut the fillets into small cubes and rub with lemon, garlic, salt and black pepper. If possible let it marinade covered for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
In a large saucepan put a layer of 1/3 of the onions, and 1/3 of each bell pepper (green, red and orange).
Put half the fish on top.
Assemble one more layer of 1/3 of the onions and peppers, half the tomatoes, half of the green onions, and half of the coriander.
Add the rest of the fish.
Top with the rest of the onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, green onion and coriander.
Add the tomato sauce, coconut milk and dendĂȘ oil.
You can add Malagueta pepper now or later over the fish on your plate.
Add 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Put the pan over high heat and let it boil.
Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Uncover the pan and check if the bell peppers are cooked through.
Adjust salt and pepper.
Bon Appétit!
