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!

Scallops with Coriander Crumble

This week I have been craving for fish, so today my husband and I went shopping and we splashed out on seafood. So the next few recipes will probably be based on aquatic feasts!
I created this recipe for today influenced by the billions of TV cooking shows (especially Rick Stein - the seafood lover) I have been watching since I got in UK.
I totally LOVE scallops and by now you might have been thinking: Cyntia loves ANY food!!! And if you think that you are right!
Anyway, scallop is special!!!
For this recipe you will need:

4 scallops on their shell
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
The sauce:
1/4 of onion finely chopped
1/2 leek chopped
1 tsp of garlic paste
1/2 tbsp of butter
1/2 tbsp of olive oil
150 ml of milk - 100 ml to start the sauce and 50 ml to dissolve the cornflour
1 tbsp of cornflour
1 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp of grated mozzarella
1 tbsp of double cream
1 egg yolk
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to you taste
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a sauce pan and add the onion, frying until golden brown. Add the leek and garlic and fry them a little bit before adding the 100 ml of milk.

When the milk starts boiling, dissolve the cornflour in the rest of the milk and add to the sauce pan. The sauce will become thicker. Take it out of the heat, start beating the egg yolk and add the sauce little by little (if you add it straight away the egg will curdle). After the mixture is combined, take the pan back to the heat (low heat) and add the Parmesan and the mozzarella as well as the double cream and pinch of nutmeg. Try it and season to taste. Pour a spoon or so over the scallops on their shells and reserve.
For the crumble:
1 slice of white bread - the ones you use for toast
A bunch of coriander - as much or as little as you like 
1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend all the ingredients in a mixer until it looks like a green couscous. Sprinkle on the top of the scallops (which will have the sauce by now). And bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the crumble is golden. Serve it straight away with a drizzle of lemon.

It is VERY YUMMY!!! And I hope you love it!!!!