You’ll want to use a firm white fish. I used pollock for this
batch, which was firm enough. I also added shrimp to this stew.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of
fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, pollock or cod,
rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Tbsp lime or lemon
juice
- Salt
- Freshly ground black
pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup green onion
greens, chopped
- 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red
bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, chopped
- 2 cups chopped (or
sliced) tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp paprika
(Hungarian sweet)
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 large bunch of
cilantro, chopped with some set aside for garnish
- 1 14-ounce can coconut
milk
Rice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup rice (I prefer jasmine)
- 2 cups water
(check your rice package for the appropriate ratio of liquid to rice for
the type of rice you are using)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Yield: Serves
4.
Method
1
Place fish pieces in a bowl, add the minced garlic and lime juice so that the
pieces are well coated. Sprinkle generously all over with salt and pepper. Keep
chilled while preparing the rest of the soup.
2 Start on the rice: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan
on medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until the
onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until the
garlic is fragrant. Add the rice and stir to coat completely with the
oil, onions, and garlic. Add the water. (The amount depends on your
brand of rice, check the package. If no amounts are given, add 2 cups of
water for every cup of rice.) Stir in salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer,
then lower the heat, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes or until tender and remove
from heat until ready to serve with the soup.
3
Back to the soup: In a large pot (or a Dutch oven), coat the
bottom with about 2 Tbsp of olive oil and heat on medium heat. Add half of the chopped
onion and cook a few minutes until softened. Add the bell pepper, paprika, and
red pepper flakes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. (At least a
teaspoon of salt.) Cook for a few minutes longer, until the bell pepper begins
to soften. Stir in the half the chopped tomatoes and onion greens. Bring to a simmer and
cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Stir in half the chopped cilantro. Spread the vegetables over the bottom of the pan to create
a bed for the fish.
4 Arrange the fish pieces on the vegetables. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper.
5 Then add the other half of the vegetables (onions, tomatoes, cilantro) covering the
fish.
6 Pour coconut milk over the fish and vegetables. Bring soup to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes (I added shrimp after about 10 minutes).
7
Taste and adjust seasonings. You may need to add more salt, lime or
lemon juice, paprika, pepper, or chili flakes to get the soup to the desired
seasoning for your taste.
8 Garnish
with cilantro. Serve with rice and/or with crusty bread.
Note: I saw Fatima (Fafa) Gomes, the chef at MUQUECA in Cambridge, MA prepare this dish on local tv. The restaurant link: http://www.muquecarestaurant.com/about-us
