Brazilian-style fish stew
Prep Time: 25 minutes + time to marinate fish
Cook Time: 35 minutes + time to roast pepper
Keywords: roast stew entree fish onion tomatoes carrots Brazilian
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1.1 pound / 500 g fillet of lingcod or Pacific cod or similar fish
- 2 tablespoons / 30 ml fresh lime or lemon juice
- A pinch dried hot red-pepper flakes
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 pound / 150 g peeled and deveined large shrimp (prawns)
- 1 red bell pepper, possibly organic (see Notes below)
- One 14.5 ounces / 410 g can crushed fire-roasted organic tomatoes (see Notes below)
- 1 onion, about 9 ounces / 250 g, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, scrubbed, scraped and grated using the extra-large side of the grater
- 1 yellow plantain, peeled and sliced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (see Notes below)
- 1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Notes
- I roast the red pepper so that its texture matches that of the tomatoes.
- As this is not the season for fresh tomatoes, I used my favorite canned ones.
- If you like cilantro, substitute it for half the parsley.
Instructions
Cut the fish into 8 pieces and place them in a bowl. Stir together citrus juice, pepper flakes, garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt, then pour over the fish and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate. In the meantime, prepare the red pepper (see below).
After 30 minutes, add the prawns, stir, cover and refrigerate again for 30-60 minutes.
Roast the red pepper
Roast the red pepper in the oven preheated to 375 F / 190 C. Turn it 90 degrees every 15 minutes or so until the skin is blistered in places. Place in a paper bag or plastic container until cool, then remove skin and seeds, chop and set aside.
While the red pepper cools, prepare the rest of the vegetables.
Prepare the vegetable layer
Empty the can of tomatoes into a 5-Qt cast-iron Dutch oven. Rinse the can with 1/4 cup / 60 ml water and pour it into the pot. Distribute the onion on the tomatoes, then do the same with the grated carrots.
Cover the pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat. Turn down the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients. As the last step, take the fish out of the refrigerator.
Complete the dish
Distribute the red pepper on top of the vegetables and then the plantain slices. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the fish in a single layer on top of the plantain. Sprinkle the parsley on the fish, then arrange prawns on the parsley, reserving the marinade.
Pour the oil evenly on the fish and then do the same with the marinade. Bring stew to a simmer, then cover the pot.
Adjust the heat so the stew cooks gently for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Serve hot.