Makeshift Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)*

Ingredients

• 1 lb firm-fleshed fish fillets (mahi mahi, swordfish, tilapia, cod, halibut, etc)
• 20-25 shrimp (optional, frozen is okay)
• 2 T cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large red pepper (or small red & small green pepper), diced
• 4-5 small tomatoes, chopped
• 6-7 green onions, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Juice of one large lime or 3-4 key limes
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 2-3 small hot peppers, or 1/2 t ground cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp paprika (Hungarian sweet)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Cooked Rice (to serve)

Method

1. Cut the fish filets into large bite sized pieces and marinate in the lime juice and some salt & pepper for about 20-30 minutes. If using raw shrimp, marinate them with the fish as well; if using frozen, place into a bowl to thaw while prepping the other ingredients.
2. Chop the regular onion, red pepper, paprika, and tomatoes and place into a bowl. 
3. Chop the green onions and cilantro and place in a separate bowl. 
4. When the fish has been marinated long enough and the shrimp is thawed, heat 2 T cooking oil in a large, deep skillet or in a large pot. Add garlic and heat for about 1 minute
5. Add the onion, red peppers, and tomatoes. Cook for about 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat or until the veggies begin to soften. 
6. Add the fish and coconut milk and cook for another 15 minutes or so. If using raw shrimp, add them in with the fish; if using frozen, cooked shrimp, add at the very end to avoid overcooking and rubberyness. Cook for about 2 more minutes. 
7. Lastly, add the green onions, and remove from heat.
8. Garnish with green onions if desired, serve with white rice or by itself, and aproveita!

*"A few words about this recipe. First, it's easy. With prep, making rice, the total time involved is less than an hour. Second, since this is an American blog, we're dealing with ingredients we can get here. True Bahian moqueca is made with a fish caught off the coast of northern Brazil. In our case, we'll want to use a firm white fish. I used cod for this batch, which is barely firm enough. Halibut would hold up better. You can also add shrimp or other shellfish to this stew. Palm oil is traditionally used in making moqueca, but it's hard to come by here, so we are using olive oil. Finally, adjust the seasonings to taste! If it doesn't seem flavorful enough to you, you need to add more salt. And probably a little more lime or lemon juice and paprika too."

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Original recipe: Poor Girl Eats Well

Posted by Jasmine