Info
- Course: Main Course
- Skill Level: Moderate
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Favorited: 96 Times
Can be made ahead of time.
Fish in Coconut Stew
- + New List
Cookbook
Recipe
This is a popular Brazilian stew, rich with creamy coconut milk. An authentic ingredient is palm oil (dendê), which lends a distinctive flavor and color, but you can use more olive oil instead.
Yield :
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time :
15 mins
Cooking Time :
35 mins
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1¾ lb (800g) firm white fish, such as cod and snapper, cut into large chunks or strips
- 3 tbsp palm oil (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
<span class="recipe_structure_ingredients_heads">For the salsa:</span><br />
- 1 ripe tomato, skinned, seeded, and chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until tender but not browned. Add the tomatoes and the peppers. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and released their juices. Stir in the coconut milk and tomato paste and return to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, make the salsa. Mix all the ingredients together and spoon into a serving bowl. Set aside to allow the flavors to blend.
3. Add the fish to the coconut milk mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes, until the fish is opaque throughout. Do not overcook. Stir in the palm oil, if using.
4. Transfer the stew to a heated serving dish and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve hot, with the salsa passed on the side.
Variation:
Farofa de Dendê: To make this traditional side dish, heat 2 tbsp dendê oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and cook 5 minutes until tender. Add ½ cup manioc flour and 15 soaked drained, and finely chopped dried shrimp. Cook, stirring, until the flour is toasted, about 5 minutes.
Notes
Prepare ahead:
Prepare, cool, and refrigerate the stew up through step 1 up to 1 day ahead. When ready to serve, heat and add the fish. The salsa can be made up to 1 day ahead, but stir in the chopped parsley at the last minute.
© 2008 Dorling Kindersley
Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving (% daily value)
Nutritional information is based on 1/8 teaspoon added salt per serving.
574kcal (29%)
76mg (8%)
74mg (123%)
94mcg RAE (3%)
1470mg
117mg
39g
7g
3g
15g
86mg (29%)
453mg (19%)
20g (102%)
41g (63%)
4mg (20%)
Would you like to leave a comment about this recipe?
Notify me of new comments on this recipe.
Add comment
Barquinho
01.11.10 Flag commentIn Brazil, this is called Moqueca. Like the gumbos of Louisiana, each region and within the regions, each household makes a different version. I would only add that you might want to use a coconut milk with no added sugar and beware that dende can stimulate the lower GI. I prefer to use olive oil. Also, using a bit of lime juice and creole seasoning on the fish prior to cooking gives it a little zest that is missing.