Moqueca de Peixe

About This Recipe

Moqueca de peixe is the soul of Bahian cuisine — a fragrant fish stew that traces its roots directly to West African and indigenous Brazilian cooking. The use of dendê (red palm oil) is the decisive ingredient that distinguishes Bahian moqueca from the Espírito Santo version, giving the broth a vivid orange colour and an earthy, complex depth that is unlike any other seafood dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 700 gfirm white fish fillets(cut into chunks (cod, snapper, or grouper))
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 3 tbspdendê (red palm oil) or olive oil
• 2 mediumtomatoes(diced)
• 1 largeonion(sliced)
• 1red bell pepper(sliced)
• 1green bell pepper(sliced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbsplime juice
• 1 bunchfresh coriander(roughly chopped)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate fish

   Marinate fish with lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper for 15 min.

2. 2

   Build layers

   In a clay pot or heavy pan, layer onion, tomatoes, and peppers. Add fish on top.

3. 3

   Add coconut milk

   Pour coconut milk and dendê oil over. Do not stir. Cover and simmer 20 min.

4. 4

   Finish

   Shake pot gently. Add coriander. Cook uncovered 5 min.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve directly from pot with white rice, farofa, and pirão.

Variations

• •

  Add prawns and mussels for a seafood moqueca

• •

  Use olive oil if dendê is unavailable

• •

  Include plantain slices

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Best eaten the day it is made — fish does not reheat well. The sauce alone keeps refrigerated up to 3 days.

Frequently Asked Questions