This dish of fish in a tomato-coconut-lime sauce hails from Brazil, the place it is named moqueca. I found it on the dwelling of a buddy within the English countryside, and located it so great that I needed to share it with you. Jane, the buddy in query, discovered to make it whereas her husband was serving as a senior British diplomat in Brasília. They entertained loads and, as she put it, it is a nice social gathering dish as a result of it may be largely ready prematurely.
Poisson brésilien au lait de coco / Brazilian fish stew ‘moqueca’
Common readers of this website might keep in mind that the recipe in my final submit was additionally from an English buddy, one other superlative prepare dinner. What’s the connection? All of us lived in Moscow when it was nonetheless the capital of the USSR — and thus we discovered to be inventive cooks. There have been a number of state-run eating places however there was nothing resembling regular nightlife. If we needed to have a pleasant dinner, we needed to put together it ourselves.
This concerned inventive purchasing as nicely. The constructing to which all three of us have been assigned was inside simple strolling distance of a good farmers market, however the high quality and amount of the meals on provide there was unpredictable. Even much less predictable have been the state-run retailers, therefore the behavior of each Muscovite of by no means going out with out an avoska (string bag) in case one thing fascinating ought to flip up. Which occurred not often.
One meals merchandise that was typically accessible someplace was ice cream, and it was wonderful. Individuals lined up for it within the streets in winter, by no means thoughts the -30 temperatures. However there was just one taste — vanilla. Nicely, expensive buddies, inventive cooking means determining find out how to transcend vanilla. Quickly I used to be delighting my dinner friends with unique flavors like chocolate or strawberry. (Trace: let the ice cream soften, add cocoa powder or mashed strawberries, stir and refreeze). One other factor I discovered to make in Moscow was French-fried onion rings — as no such factor was accessible there (coming quickly).
Getting again to moqueca (pronounced moo-KAY-ka), fillets of any agency, white-fleshed fish are marinated for some time in lime juice, garlic and ginger, then cooked in a sauce of candy crimson pepper, onion, garlic, tomato and cayenne, with coconut milk, extra lime juice and chopped cilantro added on the finish. The dish is historically served over rice.
And, you might nicely ask, why is a Brazilian dish that got here to me by way of Moscow showing on a French meals weblog? Nicely, for one factor, I made it in Paris. For one more, we’ve acquired the Olympics taking place right here in a matter of days, and what higher technique to have a good time the Olympic spirit of pleasant competitors amongst nations than a multi-culti dish?
Pleased cooking.
