White fish fillets simmered in a light coconut milk and tomato sauce with peppers and cilantro, a coastal Brazilian favorite.
Peixe a brasileira, or moqueca-style Brazilian fish, is a coastal dish built around white fish fillets gently simmered in a sauce of coconut milk, tomato, bell pepper, and onion, brightened with fresh cilantro and lime. It's closely related to moqueca, Brazil's more famous regional fish stew, and reflects the country's Afro-Brazilian and coastal culinary influences, particularly strong in Bahia where coconut milk and dende (palm) oil define much of the regional cuisine. The technique that matters is building the sauce first and poaching the fish gently within it rather than pan-frying it separately: onion, garlic, tomato, and bell pepper are cooked down into a fragrant base, coconut milk is added and brought to a gentle simmer, and the fish fillets are then nestled into the sauce to poach through in just a few minutes, keeping them delicate and moist rather than overcooked. A finishing drizzle of dende oil, if available, adds the distinctive orange color and earthy flavor characteristic of Bahian cooking. Served over white rice with a side of farofa, peixe a brasileira showcases Brazil's coastal cooking tradition -- fresh fish gently cooked in a rich, aromatic coconut sauce rather than heavily fried or grilled.
Serves 4
Toss fish fillets with lime juice, half the garlic, and salt. Let marinate 15-20 minutes.
Heat oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook onion and peppers 8-10 minutes until softened.
Add remaining garlic and diced tomatoes, cooking 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down slightly.
Pour in coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
Nestle marinated fish fillets into the simmering sauce. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes until the fish flakes easily.
Stir in fresh cilantro just before serving. Serve hot over white rice, spooning extra sauce over each portion.
Marinate the fish briefly in lime juice before cooking -- this brightens the flavor and firms the flesh slightly, helping it hold together during poaching.
Poach the fish gently in the simmering sauce rather than boiling hard; a rolling boil can break delicate fillets apart.
If you can find dende (palm) oil, a small amount stirred in at the end gives an authentic Bahian color and flavor, though olive oil works well as a substitute.
Add shrimp along with the fish for a more substantial seafood version.
Use a firmer fish like halibut or grouper if you want the fillets to hold their shape more robustly.
Add a diced chile pepper with the bell peppers for extra heat.
Best eaten fresh, as the fish can become mushy on reheating. If needed, refrigerate up to 2 days and reheat very gently over low heat.
Coconut milk-based fish dishes are strongly associated with Bahia in northeastern Brazil, where Afro-Brazilian culinary traditions brought techniques and ingredients like coconut milk and dende oil that remain central to the region's distinctive cuisine.
It's closely related and uses similar ingredients and technique, though true moqueca often includes dende oil and is cooked in a traditional clay pot (panela de barro) for its most authentic version.
Yes -- thaw completely and pat dry before marinating, since excess moisture can dilute the sauce.
Olive oil works as a substitute, though you'll miss dende's distinctive orange color and earthy flavor; some specialty stores or online retailers carry it if you want the most authentic result.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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