Monday 24 January 2011

English Fish Brazilian Moqueca

Researching about English fishes to decide which one I should use to take on Jon's challenge and make this recipe, I found the website http://www.wildengland.com that is an A to Z compendium of England's native wildlife targeting children, and I've learned that:
The Cod is one of our best-known offshore native fish. It is commonly associated with our traditional 'fish and chips'
So I have chosen cod to cook my moqueca, but it is a flaky fish. If I could suggest (and I guess I can), use monkfish as it is meatier fish with a dense firm texture and sweet flavour (often compared to lobster) and won't "melt" on the sauce. In Brazil we would use "Pintado" especially (it seems that the equivalent is the fish cherne) . And by the way, don't research about monkfish, its picture will put you off!!!!
OK, let's go for the recipe:
1 cod fillet - it would be a good idea to ask your fishmonger to take off the bones and skin
1/2 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 green pepper sliced
1/2 orange pepper sliced - you can use the yellow or red ones
2 tomatoes sliced
1/2 onion
1/2 chili pepper
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
Bunch of coriander
Bunch of parsley (flat leaf)
1 tsp of garlic paste
4 tbsp of "azeite de dende" (palm oil) - found in Brazilian or African shops in UK
Pinch of coriander seed grinded
1/2 of a tin of coconut milk
Salt and pepper to your taste
Cut the fillet in about 5 pieces and season with a little bit of salt and pepper. In a mixer blend the onion, chili, lemon zest, coriander, parsley, garlic paste and coriander seed until well combined.
If you have a shallow casserole you will need to preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, if not the cooking process can easily be done on the stove.
In a shallow casserole (as you can see I don't have one, so I used a frying pan) put the olive oil, heat it and put the fish to fry a little. Add all the sliced peppers and tomatoes, pour the blended mixture over it and the palm oil.

Leave it to fry a little bit, about 3 minutes and add the coconut milk. Put it in the oven to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, if your doing it in a frying pan, put a lid on and leave it to cook on a moderate heat for the same time described for the oven. When it is ready the sauce will have thickened and will look as below:

Then it is ready to serve. I love it with white rice (as it is Brazilian main side dish), but you can have it with some potatoes (mashed, cooked, anyway).
I really love it and after I have been to some Indian restaurants it reminds a bit of Korma, but still different, at least for me. Hope you enjoy it, Jon!

2 comments:

  1. Olha....! Nova cor de fundo, novos marcadores... gostei de ver! :)

    E essa moqueca? É tortura é? rsss

    Precisando, é só chamar!

    Beijos!

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  2. Eu fizzzzzzzzzzz...ficou deliciosa!!!! E nem é muito difícil de fazer... Eu li que badejo é muito bom..Mas eu acabei comprando posta de pescada (é isso mesmo?) por sugestão do cara lá do pão de açucar... Só fiquei em dúvida qnto tempo precisava fritar e qnto tempo deixar cozinhando... Mas acabou q deu tudo certo!

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