Moqueca de piexe (Brazilian Seafood Stew)


This is the second version of Moqueca we’ve attempted, and it couldn’t be more different than the first. In this version, as featured in Healthy Latin Cooking, you puree the stock, onions, peppers, and tomatoes, which creates a thick broth to which you add the fish (in our case, mahi mahi) and shrimp. It worked really well over rice.

Thad says:

It’s as if every culture has their bouillabaisse…

Lisa says:

This is WAY different than the other one we made. Before you put the fish in, it looked like a butternut squash soup! I don’t know which one is more traditional, but they’re both really good.

Chris says:

I like this recipe — there’s only a cup of coconut milk in this but it’s so rich and creamy. More please.

Moqueca de piexe (Brazilian Seafood Stew)
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2 pounds mahi mahi, cut into 2″ pieces
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp lime juice
8 cloves garlic, minced
salt and ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
5 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 cups fish stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup light coconut milk
ground red pepper

In a shallow 13″x9″ glass baking dish, combine the fish and shrimp. Add the lime juice and one-quarter of the garlic. Season with the salt and pepper, toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, scallions, bell peppers, and the remaining garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and translucent but not brown.
Increase the heat to high. Add the tomatoes and cook for two minutes or until most of the juice from the tomatoes has evaporated. Stir in the stock and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly reduced and richly flavored. Remove from the heat.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a blender. Puree until smooth. Return to the skillet. Add the coconut milk and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the fish and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes more, or until the fish and shrimp are opaque. Sprinkle with a pinch of ground pepper. Season with more red pepper, salt, and black pepper, if desired. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top.


3 responses to “Moqueca de piexe (Brazilian Seafood Stew)”

  1. Hi Chaps, Love the recipe but you have overlooked one important ingredient – palm oil. Is this because of the health aspect? Palm Oil may be an evil saturated vegetable oil, but you only need a spoonful to give it its authentic taste. Check out some of my Brazilian recipe videos at http://www.CucaBrazuca.com

  2. All saturated oils are not created equally. Palm oil is not in fact ‘evil’. A high quality, i.e. unrefined, palm oil is actually excellent for lowering bad cholesterol and it is great for your eyes due to it’s high Vitamin A content.

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