Moqueca (Brazilian Seafood Stew)

By Tom421

Ingredients

• For the Moqueca:
• 2 pounds yuca, peeled and medium diced, divided
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium carrots, medium diced
• 1 yellow onion, medium diced
• 1 celery stalk, medium diced
• 1 poblano pepper, medium diced
• 1/2 cup green curry paste
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 pound (1 1/2 cups) okra, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rings
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 4 kaffir lime leaves (preferably fresh)
• 8 ounces salt cod, soaked overnight
• 8 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• For the Prawns:
• 1 pound (12 medium) head-on prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• For Assembly:
• Steamed rice, for serving
• Thinly sliced Thai basil, for garnish
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from tastingtable.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the moqueca: In a blender, combine three-quarters of the yuca with the water, spinach, tomatoes and jalapeño. Purée until smooth and set aside.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and golden, 1 minute. Add the carrots, onion, celery and poblano pepper, and cook, stirring often, until soft and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the curry and tomato pastes, and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes.

3. To the pot, add the remaining quarter of the yuca, the reserved yuca purée, the okra, chicken stock, fish sauce and lime leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the yuca is tender and the liquid is thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a small pot, cover the salt cod with cold water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Repeat this process 2 more times, then roughly chop the salt cod.

5. Add the salt cod and the smoked salmon to the stew, and cook until the fish is opaque, 3 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, then keep warm until ready to serve.

6. Prepare the prawns: In a medium bowl, toss the prawns with the parsley, red pepper flakes and lemon zest. Season with salt. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the prawns and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

7. Assemble the dish: Divide steamed rice between bowls and ladle the stew over it. Top with 2 prawns and garnish with sliced Thai basil and scallions, then serve.