Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)
- Total Time
- 2½ hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 5tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1medium onion, sliced thin
- 1½cups manioc or cassava meal, available online and in some specialty food shops
- 1¾pounds black sea bass, filleted, trimmings reserved
- 12ounces large shrimp, peeled, shells reserved
- Salt
- 2bay leaves
- 1small white turnip, peeled and diced
- 3medium onions
- 4large plum tomatoes
- 6ounces shishito peppers, chopped
- 2cloves garlic
- ⅓cup chopped cilantro
- ¼cup chopped chives
- 1green plantain
- ½red bell pepper, cut in rings
- 2green Cubanelle peppers, green frying peppers or 1 small green bell pepper, cut in rings
- 10ounces unsweetened coconut milk
- 4tablespoons dendê oil, or red palm oil, available online
- 6ounces cooked octopus tentacles, cut in thick slices, or raw squid in thin rings
- 1long red chile pepper, for garnish
- ½cup long grain rice, steamed
- Piri-piri or other hot sauce, for serving
For the Farofa (optional)
For the Stew
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
725 calories; 33 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 1343 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Make the farofa if desired: Melt butter in a skillet or shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in manioc and cook, stirring, 5 to 8 minutes, until it starts to toast. Cover and keep warm.
- Step 2
Make the fish broth: Cut each bass fillet in 4 or 5 pieces, cover and refrigerate. Place trimmings in a 3-quart stovetop casserole, preferably an earthenware pot. Lightly salt shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Place shells in the pot. Add 5 cups water; the bay leaves; the turnip; 2 onions, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; half the shishito peppers; the garlic; and half the cilantro and chives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a slit in the skin of the plantain, wrap in foil and bake 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Cool.
- Step 4
Strain broth into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids and return broth to pot. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1½ cups.
- Step 5
Slice remaining tomatoes and remaining onion ¼ inch thick and add to pot. Add bell peppers, Cubanelle peppers, remaining shishito peppers, remaining chives and all but 1 tablespoon remaining cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
- Step 6
Peel plantain and slice it ½ inch thick. Add to pot. Add coconut milk and dende oil. Add fish and octopus, if using, and simmer 5 minutes. Rinse and dry shrimp and squid, if using, and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes. Check seasonings. Strew remaining cilantro on top, garnish with a red chile and serve over rice directly from the pot, with farofa and piri-piri on the side.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Randy
You are describing the variety of this dish known as moqueca baiana. The state where I live, Espírito Santo makes their own version of this dish, but with olive oil instead of palm oil. I like it much better as the taste is lighter and fresher. They also do not make farofa with it, but make a creamy sort of gravy with manioc called pirão.
Also, it is usually cooked in an earthenware pot.
Jan W.
You can buy Certified Fair Trade red palm oil from sources that don't destroy rainforest to produce it. I believe Whole Foods and a few other places carry them. It does have some nutritional benefits as a fat and it has a unique flavor. Red palm oil is cold pressed and is not the industrially refined stuff used in mass-market confectionery.
Linty
Plantains can be cooked easily in the microwave.
AHubby
Spectacular and well worth the planning and a bit of trouble.
We used tilapia instead of black sea bass (not available); Peri-Peri, rather than Piri-Piri (not available.) As suggested, we used squid (terrific.) Don’t skip the dendê oil (Kalustyan’s has it) though some people say use olive oil. Still arguing over the plantain: I found it superfluous, others appreciated it. We love farofa but agree that it’s not necessary here.
Ohanna
I don't like that they changed the recipe but are still calling it Brazilian fish stew. This recipe is not authentic it's way off. I'm honestly a little offended by it. Dendê oil give the dish aroma and helps with the color but it should be used very lightly because it's a heavy oil too much can even give you a stomach ache. Dendê can be substituted for regular olive oil it's not a problem and it won't make a big difference but it you do this then add paprika.
Jenn
Made this as my son persistently requested it after studying Brazil with his 1st grade class. Weeks of prep to assemble all the ingredients, and took all day to put it together, but it was WORTH IT!! Probably one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. Only issue was that the shrimp and scallops (I substituted for the octopus) were perfect at the start of the meal, but became over cooked and chewy as we progressed through the meal. Served with Brazilian cheese bread (not so fond of that dish)
Rainangel
Palm oil is one of the most environmentally destructive things you can eat. I am sure there are substitutes for red palm oil.
Milt and Kerene
We made a large batch of this the first time, and we are making a lot larger batch this time. Shrimp, grouper, squid, and for fun, cooked mussels. Rather tan strain anything, we used an immersion blender to mix the initial peppers, cilantro, onion, turnip and garlic into a relatively smooth mixture before adding the seafood, sliced tomato, coconut milk, diced onion, and bell peppers. We served it over rice and refrigerated the leftovers. It is wonderful.
Diana
I bought yuca at a Cuban market for the farofa, used Shishito peppers & cilantro from my garden, used tinned octopus from Spain & red palm oil I had in my pantry Otherwise, I made the recipe exactly as directed. Thank you Florence for an incredible recipe! I will definitely make again, it is definitely worth the work.
Snake Mackerel
Plantains took a lot longer than 20 minutes to soften up. About 40 minutes in my case
Jenn
Made this as my son persistently requested it after studying Brazil with his 1st grade class. Weeks of prep to assemble all the ingredients, and took all day to put it together, but it was WORTH IT!! Probably one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. Only issue was that the shrimp and scallops (I substituted for the octopus) were perfect at the start of the meal, but became over cooked and chewy as we progressed through the meal. Served with Brazilian cheese bread (not so fond of that dish)
Ohanna
I don't like that they changed the recipe but are still calling it Brazilian fish stew. This recipe is not authentic it's way off. I'm honestly a little offended by it. Dendê oil give the dish aroma and helps with the color but it should be used very lightly because it's a heavy oil too much can even give you a stomach ache. Dendê can be substituted for regular olive oil it's not a problem and it won't make a big difference but it you do this then add paprika.
MPA
Agree. This is not Moqueca..... Where in Brasil do you find piri-piri? We don't have plantains...
AHubby
Spectacular and well worth the planning and a bit of trouble.
We used tilapia instead of black sea bass (not available); Peri-Peri, rather than Piri-Piri (not available.) As suggested, we used squid (terrific.) Don’t skip the dendê oil (Kalustyan’s has it) though some people say use olive oil. Still arguing over the plantain: I found it superfluous, others appreciated it. We love farofa but agree that it’s not necessary here.
Randy
You are describing the variety of this dish known as moqueca baiana. The state where I live, Espírito Santo makes their own version of this dish, but with olive oil instead of palm oil. I like it much better as the taste is lighter and fresher. They also do not make farofa with it, but make a creamy sort of gravy with manioc called pirão.
Also, it is usually cooked in an earthenware pot.
Tim
My boyfriend is from Salvador so I'm a bit prejudiced towards the Bahian variety. I don't recall farofa served with moqueca, but i love the piarao (sorry not international keyboard).
William egan
This is a Elegant and Tropical Dish,The only differences I make are I omit the Squid and add Bay Scallops.....Goes nice with a Tropical smoothie and some Latin Trinity of dances the Salsa,Merengue and Tango.....
Rainangel
Palm oil is one of the most environmentally destructive things you can eat. I am sure there are substitutes for red palm oil.
Jan W.
You can buy Certified Fair Trade red palm oil from sources that don't destroy rainforest to produce it. I believe Whole Foods and a few other places carry them. It does have some nutritional benefits as a fat and it has a unique flavor. Red palm oil is cold pressed and is not the industrially refined stuff used in mass-market confectionery.
Kathleen
Sustainable palm oil is not bad! Please do your research!
Linty
Plantains can be cooked easily in the microwave.
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