salmon moqueca

Those of you who love intense, bold and different flavours, close your eyes and travel with me to Brazil to enjoy this wonderful Salmon Moqueca .

One of those fish stews that, if you haven't tried it yet, I recommend you try it as soon as possible.

Moqueca or muqueca de peixe in Portuguese, is a very simple recipe, with accessible ingredients and that will not take you long to prepare (as long as you already have the tomato sauce ready). The stew is made with fish in pieces or tacos, traditionally it is made with white fish, but in my case I leave you this version with salmon, tomato sauce, coconut milk, onion, pepper, coriander and palm oil (dendê), although we will use olive oil. Apparently, this variety of oil gives the stew a very particular flavor and aroma, as well as being pleasant.

Moqueca, a word derived from pokeka , is of indigenous Brazilian origin and was originally made by grilling fish between the leaves of different trees.

There are two types of moqueca; moqueca baiana , from the state of Bahia in the northeastern part of Brazil, has African influences. It is made with coconut milk and palm oil. And moqueca capixaba , from the state of Espiritu Santo in the southeast, has Portuguese influence. It is made with olive oil and annatto seeds. Some time ago I left you a recipe in which we made use of this ingredient, this Vegetable Minestrone Soup.

There are two sayings about this preparation:

• Moqueca is capixaba, or rest is peixada! - 'moqueca is the capixaba, the rest is fish stew!'
• moqueca baiana, that's just deceiving! - 'moqueca baiana, that one is just deceiving!'

The first written mention of moqueca is found in a historical document, a letter from the Portuguese priest Luís de Grã , dated 1554. In 1584, another priest, Fernão de Cardim , comments that fish, potatoes, and mangará (flower) were roasted there. banana), among other foods. Nowadays, moqueca is not roasted, it is cooked on stoves.

This dish can be served with rice or beans, although it is very common to find it accompanied by yuca.

Ingredients for 3 servings

• 1 kg of fresh salmon, in fillet and cut into pieces
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 285 g homemade tomato sauce (recipe below)
• 145 g high-fat coconut milk
• 1 yellow pepper, bell pepper type
• 1 red pepper, bell pepper type
• 1 green pepper, bell pepper type
• 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
• juice of half a lime
• salt and black pepper to taste
• chopped fresh cilantro
• chopped fresh basil (optional)

FOR THE HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE:

• 1 kg of fried tomatoes
• 1 roasted red pepper, ideally homemade
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 15 g unsalted butter
• 20-25 g sugar
• salt to taste

FOR ANISE-INFUSED RICE:

The amount of rice detailed is per person

• 50 g basmati rice
• 135 g of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon anise seeds
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• flower of salt

Elaboration

Blanch the tomatoes.

1. Fill a large pot with water, place over medium heat and let it come to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, make a cross cut at the base of each tomato.
3. Once the water comes to a boil, carefully add the tomatoes and blanch for 1 minute.
4. Remove the tomatoes from the water and let them cool until you can handle them without burning yourself. You can also put them under cold water.
5. Remove the skin, chop and add back to the pot.

Prepare the tomato sauce.

1. Add the olive oil to the chopped tomatoes along with the sugar and a little salt.
2. Place over medium-high heat and leave until the tomato comes to a boil.
3. At this point, reduce the heat to medium-low. As the tomato begins to cook, it will start to release water. Cook until you notice that most of that water has evaporated, which can take about 35-45 minutes.
4. At this point, add the roasted red pepper strips and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and blend with a hand blender to achieve a smooth, creamy tomato sauce.
6. Return to heat and add the butter. Cook until you obtain the desired thickness for your tomato sauce.
7. Taste, adjust salt and sugar if desired.
8. Set aside.

Prepare the anise-infused rice.

1. Wash the rice thoroughly with cold water to remove excess starch. Drain.
2. Place a pot over medium heat, add the oil and, once it reaches temperature, sauté the rice for a few seconds.
3. Add the anise and bay leaf to the rice along with the water and cook over medium-high heat until it starts to boil.
4. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
5. After this time, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8-9 minutes. All the water should have been absorbed. It is important not to uncover the pot during cooking time.
6. Remove the pot from the heat.
7. After 2-3 minutes, open the lid and stir the rice with a wooden spoon.

Prepare the salmon moqueca

1. Place the Balti Dish on the stove over medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil and allow it to warm up, without letting the oil smoke.
3. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until translucent .
4. Add the tomato sauce along with the coconut milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon and cook for 2-3 more minutes .
5. Place the salmon pieces in the Balti Dish allowing them to submerge in the broth.
6. Spread the sliced ​​colored peppers and the sliced ​​jalapeño pepper over the surface.
7. Cook for 18-20 minutes . The temperature of the salmon should not exceed 60 °C in the middle of the piece. You can place a lid on the Balti Dish to help retain some of the steam. The lid does not cover the whole pot due to the shape of the handles, but it does help ensure optimal cooking.
8. Remove from heat, drizzle the top with the juice of half a lime and sprinkle generously with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve the moqueca.

1. On a large plate, place a base of flavoured basmati rice and, on top, place pieces of salmon with a little broth and vegetables.
2. Sprinkle with a little black pepper, more fresh cilantro (if desired) and fresh basil. Serve with lime wedges.
3. We serve immediately.

GRADES:

• Traditional moqueca is made with white fish , but this version with salmon leaves us with a very surprising and tasty result.
• I recommend using fresh salmon instead of frozen, if possible . In this case, it is not necessary to freeze it, since we are going to cook the fish completely.
• If we buy the whole salmon loin, we can cut the pieces to the size we prefer. If we order it from our fishmonger, make sure that the pieces are not too small.
• It has nothing to do with whether we make tomato sauce at home or whether we buy it ready-made … I recommend that you spend a little time preparing the sauce at home.
• The size of the roasted red pepper is that of a roasting red pepper. I advise you not to omit it (and roast it at home) whenever possible, as it not only provides a very bright color, but also a wonderful flavor.
• The butter in tomato sauce is an ingredient that not only adds wonderful flavor, but also texture. The tomato sauce becomes creamier and smoother.
• The jalapeño is optional , but I recommend adding it. It adds a spicy touch, very light and very pleasant.
• If you don't like coconut milk , you can use cream instead. The result won't be the same in flavour, but it will be the same in consistency and texture.
• This dish is ideal to serve with rice . In my case, I leave you the option of accompanying it with infused basmati rice, but you can use the variety of rice you prefer.
• This salmon stew can be frozen in an airtight container for 2 months.

I'm sure you'll love this Brazilian fish stew, Moqueca de salmon , slightly modified from its origins. It's a perfect recipe for cold days, although it's also true that we can eat it at any time of the year.

I suggest serving it with basmati rice infused with anise. At home we love to serve this rice as an accompaniment to many dishes. You can also vary the spices and adjust them according to the recipe you are going to prepare, for example cardamom, cumin, fennel... A truly versatile accompaniment.

Sources: Vox Localis