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Brazilian seafood and coconut moqueca

• Gurdeep Loyal

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Serves 4 - 6

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 35 mins

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Moqueca is a comforting, tropical seafood dish enveloped in a silky coconut-infused broth with palm oil

Gluten free

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Beef picanha yakiniku

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Try our Brazilian seafood and coconut moqueca, then try Brazilian-style fish stew, beef picanha yakiniku or roast chicken coxhina.

Brazilian cuisine is having a big moment, bringing dishes like moqeuca to food lovers everywhere. Award-winning Brazilian chef Luciana Berry expertly encapsulates what it is. “Moqueca is a comforting, tropical seafood dish enveloped in a silky coconut-infused broth with palm oil. It originates from my home city, Salvador in Bahia, where African influences have helped shape the Brazilian cuisine of the region.”

Another chef joyfully celebrating her Brazilian heritage is Ixta Belfrage, whose new book Fusão (out 28 August) celebrates the food, culture and stories of her mother’s homeland, while drawing on her own mixed upbringing. “There are several regional variations of moqueca,” Ixta explains. “There is moqueca capixaba, moqueca paraense and, my favourite, moqueca baiana. This includes dendê (red palm oil) and coconut milk, epitomising Afro-Bahian cooking. Its key ingredients, coconut and dendê, are native to Africa, and were taken to Brazil by Portuguese colonists.”

Luciana sells her own jarred moqueca sauce and advises that, for the best stews, you should use the freshest fish and seafood possible. But it’s also a dish that’s great to remix. When she competed in (and won) Top Chef Brasil*, Luciana “created a moqueca with cured beef with smoked prawns. It is so umami, absolutely delicious”. Ixta’s own version “includes a mixture of fish, prawns and plantain – and for a richer, more flavourful sauce, I add tomato purée along with spices like cinnamon, curry powder and turmeric, though these are not traditional. To finish, I always top the dish with fresh herbs like coriander, spring onions, a generous squeeze of lime and plenty of freshly chopped chilli.”*

Brazilian seafood and coconut moqueca recipe

Ingredients

Nutrition

• 650g firm white fish fillet (such as cod, hake or halibut)

• 400g whole shell-on prawns (about 12)

• 1 lime

  zested to make 1 tsp, juiced to make 6 tbsp, plus extra lime zest to serve

• 2 tsp sweet paprika

• 2 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 medium onions

  diced

• 4 fat garlic cloves

  crushed

• 1 large red pepper

  cut into strips

• 1 large yellow pepper

  cut into strips

• 2 tsp coriander seeds

  crushed

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• 4 tbsp tomato purée

• 400ml coconut milk

• coriander

  chopped, to garnish

• red chilli

  chopped, to garnish

• white rice or crusty bread

  to serve

Nutrition: per serving (6)

• kcal276
• fat15g
• saturates12g
• carbs10g
• sugars8g
• fibre4g
• protein25g
• salt2.1g

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Method

• step 1

  Cut the fish into chunky 3cm pieces and carefully use a knife or scissors to devein the prawns, keeping the shells on for flavour. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tsp of lime zest, 4 tbsp of lime juice, 1 tsp of the paprika and 1 tsp of the cumin, along with 1 tsp of fine salt. Add the fish pieces and prawns to the bowl, mix well to ensure they are coated, cover and leave for 15 mins.

• step 2

  Heat the oil in a deep pan and cook the onions for 5 mins until just turning translucent. Add the garlic, peppers and coriander seeds, and cook for 5 mins more.

• step 3

  Add the turmeric, remaining paprika and cumin, the tomato purée and a splash of water, mixing well to coat the onions. Stir through the coconut milk and 200ml of water, and simmer over a medium heat for 8-10 mins or until you have an even sauce. Add 1 tsp of fine salt.

• step 4

  Lower the fish and prawns into the sauce along with any left-over marinade, ensuring they’re covered in the liquid – add a splash of water if needed to submerge the seafood fully. Cover with a lid and cook for 8-10 mins or until the prawns and fish are cooked through.

• step 5

  Check for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Stir through the remaining lime juice, then scatter over some chopped coriander, chilli and more lime zest. Serve with white rice or crusty bread.

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Authors

Gurdeep Loyal

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