salmon moqueca

Those of you who are lovers of intense, daring and different flavors, close your eyes and travel with me to Brazil to enjoy this wonderful Salmon Moqueca .

One of the fish stews that, in case you haven't already tried it, I recommend you do it as soon as possible.

The moqueca or muqueca de peixe in Portuguese, is a very simple recipe, with accessible ingredients and that you will not take long to prepare (as long as you already have the tomato sauce prepared). The stew is made with fish in pieces or cubes, traditionally it is made with white fish, but in my case I leave you this version with salmon, tomato sauce, coconut milk, onion, pepper, cilantro 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.

The moqueca, a word that derives from pokeka , is of Brazilian indigenous origin and, originally, was carried out by roasting the fish between leaves of different trees.

There are two types of moqueca; the 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 the moqueca capixaba , from the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, has a Portuguese influence. This is made with olive oil and urucum seed (achiote). Some time ago I left you a recipe in which we used this ingredient, this Minestrone vegetable soup.

There are two sayings about this elaboration:

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

The first written mention of the moqueca is found in a historical document, a letter from the Portuguese priest Luís de Grã , dated 1554 .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 (banana flower) were roasted, among other foods. Today the 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 cassava.

Ingredients for 3 servings

• 1 kg fresh salmon, loin 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)
• 145g high-fat coconut milk
• 1 yellow bell pepper, type bell pepper
• 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 tomatoes for frying
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, ideally homemade
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 15 g unsalted butter
• 20-25g sugar
• salt to taste

FOR THE ANISE-INFUSION RICE:

The quantity of rice detailed is per person

• 50g basmati rice
• 135g of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of 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 bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, make a cross cut at the base of each tomato.
3. Once the water comes to a boil, carefully introduce the tomatoes and blanch for 1 minute.
4. Take the tomatoes out of the water and let cool until you can handle them without burning yourself. We can also put them under a stream of 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 cook until the tomato comes to a boil.
3. At this time, reduce heat to medium low. As the tomato begins to cook, it will begin to release water. We will cook until we notice that a large part of that water has evaporated, it can take us around 35-45 minutes.
4. At this point, add the roasted red pepper strips and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and pass through the hand blender to achieve a smooth and creamy tomato sauce.
6. Return to the heat and add the butter. Cook until you get the desired density for your tomato sauce.
7. Taste, rectify the salt and sugar if you wish.
8. Set aside.

Prepare the anise-infused rice.

1. Wash the rice very well 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 together with the water to the rice, leave over medium high heat until it starts to boil.
4. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes.
5. After this time, reduce heat to low and cook for 8-9 minutes. It should have absorbed all the water. 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 let it come to temperature, without letting the oil smoke.
3. Add the onion along with the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until it acquires a translucent texture .
4. Add the tomato sauce along with the coconut milk. Mix very well with the help of a wooden spoon and cook for 2-3 more minutes .
5. Place the salmon pieces in the Balti Dish allowing them to be submerged in the broth.
6. Distribute the sliced ​​colored peppers on the surface along with the sliced ​​jalapeño pepper.
7. Cook for 18-20 minutes , the temperature of the salmon should not exceed 60 °C in the central part of the piece. We can place a lid on the Balti Dish to help the steam, part of it, to be retained. The lid does not cover the entire pot due to the shape of the handles, but it does favor optimal cooking.
8. Remove from heat, sprinkle the surface 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 flavored basmati rice and, on top of this, place pieces of salmon with a little broth and vegetables.
2. Sprinkle with some black pepper, more fresh cilantro (if desired), and fresh basil. Accompany with lime wedges
3. We serve right away.

GRADES:

• The traditional moqueca is made with white fish , but this version with salmon leaves us with a very surprising and tasty result.
• I advise you to use 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 with the size we prefer. If we order it from our fishmonger, make sure that they are not very small pieces.
• It has nothing to do with whether we make the tomato sauce at home or if we buy it ready-made … I recommend you spend a little time preparing the sauce at home.
• The size of the roasted red pepper is that of a red roasting pepper. I advise you not to omit it (and roast it at home), whenever possible, because 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 flavor, wonderful, but also texture. The tomato sauce becomes creamier and smoother.
• The jalapeño is optional , but I recommend incorporating it. It provides a spicy point, very light, and very pleasant.
• If you don't like coconut milk , you can use cream instead. The result will not be the same in flavor, but 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 that you prefer.
• This salmon stew can be frozen in an airtight container for 2 months.

I am sure that this Brazilian fish stew, Salmon Moqueca , slightly modified from its origins, will fascinate you. It is a perfect recipe for cold days, although it is also true that we can consume it at any time of the year.

For my part, I suggest serving it with anise-infused basmati rice, at home we love to serve this rice as an accompaniment to many preparations. In addition, you can vary the spices and adjust according to the recipe that you are going to prepare, for example cardamom, cumin, fennel... A truly versatile companion.

Sources: Vox Localis