Moqueca Com Pirao Brazilian Shrimp Stew Recipes

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• Make the farofa if desired: Melt butter in a skillet or shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in manioc and cook, stirring, 5 to 8 minutes, until it starts to toast. Cover and keep warm.
• Make the fish broth: Cut each bass fillet in 4 or 5 pieces, cover and refrigerate. Place trimmings in a 3-quart stovetop casserole, preferably an earthenware pot. Lightly salt shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Place shells in the pot. Add 5 cups water; the bay leaves; the turnip; 2 onions, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; half the shishito peppers; the garlic; and half the cilantro and chives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a slit in the skin of the plantain, wrap in foil and bake 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Cool.
• Strain broth into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids and return broth to pot. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
• Slice remaining tomatoes and remaining onion 1/4 inch thick and add to pot. Add bell peppers, Cubanelle peppers, remaining shishito peppers, remaining chives and all but 1 tablespoon remaining cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Peel plantain and slice it 1/2 inch thick. Add to pot. Add coconut milk and dende oil. Add fish and octopus, if using, and simmer 5 minutes. Rinse and dry shrimp and squid, if using, and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes. Check seasonings. Strew remaining cilantro on top, garnish with a red chile and serve over rice directly from the pot, with farofa and piri-piri on the side.

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN SEAFOOD STEW)

Steps:

• Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut along the length of each prawn deep enough to expose and remove the vein. Place the fish chunks in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and toss to coat. Set the prawns and fish aside while preparing the sauce.
• In a large, shallow Dutch oven or large, deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons dendê oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onion, stir and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Increase the heat to high, add the peppers, tomatoes and chile. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are softened and any liquid from the tomatoes is beginning to evaporate, 4 minutes.
• Pour in the coconut milk, stir and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and reduces to a creamy sauce, about 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt, if necessary, and stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.
• Carefully place the prawns in the sauce in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the prawns to cook the other sides and add the cod. (Discard any juices in the bowl.) The fish will be partly submerged. Cook until the fish is tender and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon dendê oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Slice the remaining lime into wedges. Serve immediately, with steamed rice and lime wedges for squeezing.

BRAZILIAN SHRIMP STEW (MOQUECA DE CAMAROES)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan.
• Saute onions for several minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and peppers and cook for several minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, shrimp and cilantro to the pan and simmer gently until the shrimp turns opaque.
• Pour in the coconut milk and Sriracha sauce, and cook just until heated through - do not boil.
• Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.

BRAZILIAN SHRIMP STEW

Steps:

• Toss shrimp with black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, and lemon juice and marinate, covered and chilled, 20 minutes.
• Purée tomatoes with juice in a blender until smooth.
• Cook onion and bell pepper in olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add cayenne, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and remaining teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomato purée and simmer briskly, stirring, until mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil, then add shrimp mixture and cook, stirring, until shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in dendê oil and remaining 4 tablespoons cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
• Available at Brazilian and West African markets and Kalustyan's (800-352-3451).

MOQUECA COM PIRAO (BRAZILIAN SHRIMP STEW)

Steps:

• Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes in oil, in a clay pan if possible (http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/15240632.jpg). When onions are golden-about 15 minutes-add deveined and cleaned shrimp, and wait until it gets "red"-about 15 more minutes. About 5 minutes after you added the shrimp, add coconut milk and paprika. Before serving, mix in cilantro and chives.
• Pirao: 700ml water; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt; pepper & salt to taste; reserved shrimp shells; dash of colorau *; 1 cup manioc flour. In a pan with lid, boil all the ingredients for about 15 minutes. Drain. Put liquid back in pan; when it boils turn to a simmer. SLOWLY add manioc flour, stirring constantly (as for polenta). It is ready when it starts thickening. (It doesn't harden, but turns kinda gooey.).
• * We actually use "colorau" (made mainly from "urucum" seeds); instead of paprika, a better substitute in my view is annatto seeds (http://www.overmundo.com.br/overblog/nosso-colorau-o-urucum). Saute annatto seeds in the dende oil, being VERY careful not to bun them; remove seeds and use the oil.