Brazilian Fish Stew
From the state of Bahia in northern Brazil, moqueca de peixe (moo-KAY-ka duh PAY-shuh) is a tropical fish stew fragrant with garlic and peppers, and enriched with coconut milk.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds boneless fillets of any firm whitefish
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
3 cups canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fish stock or water
Procedure:
Cut the fillets into bite-size pieces. Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Place in a shallow, nonreactive bowl and set aside. Combine the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, chile, lime juice, oil, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until
smooth. Pour over fish and allow to marinate for 1 hour. Place marinated fish in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and fish stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Serve immediately with rice, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
