Moqueca Bahia Fish Stew
Updated May 09, 2016 
Dende oil is a rich, orange-colored, palm oil and is used as a flavoring. It is high in cholesterol so use sparingly. You can find it at Brazilian and Latin American food stores.
Serves4
Cooking Methodbaking, sauteeing, stewing
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 1 hour
Make Ahead RecipeYes
Kid FriendlyYes
One Pot MealYes
OccasionCasual Dinner Party
Recipe Coursemain course
Five Ingredients or LessYes
Mealdinner
Taste and Texturesavory
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fish steaks, such as halibut, monkfish, tilefish, or swordfish
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, deveined, and chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, deveined, and chopped
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 pound hubbard (winter squash) or pumpkin, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 cup fresh or canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon good-quality dende oil (palm oil) (see Note)
- 2 green plantains, peeled and sliced into l-inch-thick rounds
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 scallions, chopped (include some of the green)
- Boiled rice and hot pepper sauce, for serving
Instructions
-
Season the fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Set aside.
-
In an ovenproof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the red and green peppers and garlic and sauté until wilted, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and squash and bring to a simmer. Stir in the coconut milk and dende oil and bring to a simmer. Add the plantains and cilantro, season with salt and pepper, and bury the fish in the sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the fish flakes easily. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and sprinkle with the scallions. Serve with rice and hot pepper sauce.
1997 Christopher Idone
