Brazilian recipe
Brazilian Fish and Prawn Stew (Moqueca de Badejo com Camarão)
Bring a taste of Brazil to your table with this aromatic fish and prawn stew. It’s a fuss-free, flavour-packed comfort food that's sure to impress.
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Ingredients
1kg white fish fillets (like groper or snapper), cut into thick chunks
Juice of half a lemon
1 medium brown onion, sliced into rings
2 green capsicums, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
500g medium prawns, peeled and deveined
2 shrimp stock cubes
200ml coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp dende oil (red palm oil)
Sea salt to taste
Juice of half a lemon
1 medium brown onion, sliced into rings
2 green capsicums, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
500g medium prawns, peeled and deveined
2 shrimp stock cubes
200ml coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tbsp dende oil (red palm oil)
Sea salt to taste
Where to find ingredients
Fish: Use firm-fleshed white fish such as snapper or groper found at your local fishmonger or supermarket seafood counter. Prawns: Available fresh or frozen in the freezer aisle of any major supermarket. Coconut milk: Found in the Asian or international section of any Kiwi supermarket. Dende oil (Red Palm Oil): This is the key to an authentic moqueca. Check specialty ethnic grocers or the 'international/Latin' aisle in larger supermarkets; if unavailable, some health food stores stock it as red palm oil. Shrimp stock cubes: Look in the Asian food aisle, often found near other stock powders.
Preparation method
- Rinse the fish and pat dry, then season with the lemon juice. Set aside
- Prep your vegetables by slicing the onion and dicing the capsicums and tomatoes. Keep these handy
- In a wide, deep pot, arrange half of the fish pieces as a base layer
- Evenly cover the fish with half of your sliced onions, capsicums, and tomatoes
- Spread half of the prawns over this vegetable layer
- Crumble one shrimp stock cube over the top and sprinkle with half the chopped coriander
- Repeat these exact layers with the remaining fish, vegetables, and prawns
- Crumble the second stock cube over the top layer
- Pour the coconut milk over the entire mixture, ensuring everything is well-moistened
- Scatter the remaining coriander over the top
- Cover the pot partially and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the flavours have melded
- If you find the sauce getting too thick, stir in about 1/2 cup of water during the process
- Gently shake or tilt the pot occasionally to ensure the stock dissolves and the sauce integrates without breaking up the fish
- Drizzle the dende oil over the stew and gently fold it through
- Have a quick taste test and add a pinch of sea salt if needed
- Serve your moqueca steaming hot immediately, perhaps with some steamed jasmine rice
Observations
This Brazilian fish and prawn stew (moqueca) is an absolute classic, celebrated for its tender white fish and succulent prawns simmered in a rich, fragrant base. The secret lies in the combination of coconut milk and dende oil, which creates a velvety, golden broth that is truly distinct.
Whether you're looking to elevate a weekend dinner or simply craving something a bit different, this dish perfectly captures the vibrant flavours of coastal Brazil. It’s a forgiving one-pot wonder that relies on gentle simmering to ensure the fish remains delicate and the flavours meld together beautifully.
Whether you're looking to elevate a weekend dinner or simply craving something a bit different, this dish perfectly captures the vibrant flavours of coastal Brazil. It’s a forgiving one-pot wonder that relies on gentle simmering to ensure the fish remains delicate and the flavours meld together beautifully.
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