We don’t cook many Brazilian dishes but perhaps we should make more as this one was delicious! Serve with rice or crusty bread.
Wine Suggestion: we had to guess a bit with what to open with this, so chose a warmer climate white with some white flower amd stonefruit characters; dry but with softer fruitiness. So tonight the charming Dominio de Tares Godello La Sonrisa and it was a very pleasant match indeed.
Brazilian seafood moqueca – serves 4 to 6
- 650g firm white fish fillets (we used hake)
- 400g whole shell-on prawns (about 12)
- 3 limes, zested to make 1 tsp, juiced to make 6 tbsp, plus a little extra lime zest to serve
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 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, sliced, to garnish
- white rice or crusty bread, to serve
Cut the fish fillets into chunky pieces and de-vein the prawns but leave the shells on (either use a very sharp knife or pointy scissors).
Mix the lime zest, 4 tbsp of the lime juice, 1 tsp of the paprika, 1 tsp of the cumin and 1 tsp of fine salt in a large bowl. Add the fish and prawns and toss gently to coat, then cover and leave aside for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large deep pan and cook the onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers and crushed coriander seeds and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the turmeric, 1 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of cumin, the tomato purée and a splash of water, then mix well to coat the onions. Add the coconut milk with 200ml of water, then simmer over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp of fine salt.
Gently add the fish and prawns to the sauce along with any marinade. The seafood needs to be completely covered so add a little more water if needed. Cover with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the seafood is cooked through.
Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed. Stir throught the rest of the lime juice and serve garnished with coriander and chilli.
(Original recipe by Gurdeep Loyal in Olive Magazine, May 2025.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 