Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca de peixe)
Steve B tells us:
I made this for company on the weekend and had rave reviews. It is a Brazilian national dish. I am married to a Brazilian and even he raved!
Ingredients:
(Makes 6 healthy servings)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 large bell peppers, sliced
- 1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (16 oz.) can coconut milk
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped (optional)
Directions:
(Preparation: 30 Minutes. Cooking: 35 minutes)
- Stir together the lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the tilapia and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours (the longer the better).
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Quickly fry the onions in the oil 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.
- Add the bell peppers, tilapia and diced tomatoes to the pot in succeeding layers.
- Pour the coconut milk over the mixture. Cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the cilantro and contuinue cooking until the tilapia is completely cooked through, another 5 to 10 minutes.
I tried reheating the leftovers the next day, but the tilapia became tough, so it is best eaten the day it's prepared.
*Ted's note: You can used halibut if you can't find tilapia, and you can add 8-10 peeled, deveined shrimp, as in the illustration, to make it extra good.
Contributed by Steve B
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