Brazil: Moqueca Capixaba

Name: Brazil: Moqueca Capixaba
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Brazil
Ingredients: cod: 3 lbs; lime juice: 1/4 cup; red pepper flakes: 1/2 tsp; garlic: 3 cloves garlic; salt: 1 1/2 tsp; shrimp: 1 lb; Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: 2 cans; yellow onion: 1 large; red bell pepper: 1 medium; ripe plantains: 2; parsley: 1/4 cup; cilantro: 1/4 cup; olive oil: 1/4 cup

Brazilian Fish Stew

Cuisine:

Brazil

Ingredients

3 lbs cod
or other white fish; pieces are fine
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic garlic
minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 lb shrimp
peeled and deveined
2 cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
chopped
1 medium red bell pepper
chopped
2 ripe plantains
peeled and each cut diagonally into 8 pieces
1/4 cup parsley
chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

What are the chances that you find a recipe that is not only 100% Whole30 as is, but is also the signature dish of Brazil?! And on top of that, that you have all the base ingredients for in your pantry/fridge? Courtney and I were feeling like our Whole30 meal plan has been a bit too meat heavy, so I set about looking for some fish based recipes for week 2, and voila! I found this recipe.

If that wasn’t proof enough that it was meant to be, when I posted a picture of it on my Instagram account, one of my very best friends – who has been living in Brazil for almost two years – commented that moqueca capixaba is her all time favorite Brazilian cuisine!

There are two types of moqueca: moqueca bahiana and moqueca capixaba. As the name would infer, Moqueca bahiana is from Bahia, and is a rich almost curry-like stew made with coconut milk and a heavier palm oil. Moqueca capixaba is the lighter version from Espírito Santo, which is common along the state’s long coastline. It’s influenced by the cuisine of Portugal. This version uses olive oil rather than palm, and the simple but bright tomato based broth really highlights the fish.

Its bright broth results from the fish, tomatoes, lime juice, and vegetables, which meld beautifully. And it couldn’t be easier. You simply layer the marinated seafood with the other ingredients in a cold pan and turn up the heat, simmering for just 20 minutes.

This dish would traditionally be made in a capixaba pan – a traditional pan made with black clay and finished with mangrove tree sap. Luckily, a ceramic Le Creuset works just fine! The other good news? This dish is ridiculously simple to make!

I’ve had not one but two extremely memorable Brazilian meals, but both were feijoada. I was excited to experience a totally different dish, highlighting the country’s love of seafood!

Recipe Source: Epicurious

Steps

1 Done	Pat fish fillets dry and put in a bowl. Add shrimp. In a separate bowl, stir together lime juice, pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt, then pour over fish and toss to combine. Marinate, covered and chilled, for 30 minutes to one hour.
2 Done	Put tomatoes in bottom of a dutch oven. Top with onion, peppers and remaining tablespoon garlic. Place plantains on top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange fish and shrimp in one layer on top of plantain. Sprinkle cilantro and parsley over fish. You can use dried herbs in a pinch, as I did. Pour oil and marinade evenly over mixture in pot.
3 Done	Bring to a simmer, then cover pot. Adjust heat to gently simmer until vegetables are softened and have released liquid and fish is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.