Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)
A light and tropical Brazilian Fish Stew, Moqueca brings coconut milk and citrus together in a tasty dinner recipe.
Moqueca: Brazilian Fish Stew
Moqueca (pronounced mo-KEY-kah) is a Brazilian recipe that comes from the Northeastern region of Bahia.
You'll find many variations on the dish using different types of seafood from fish to shrimp, even crab, but the basics are always the same: onion, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, and a lightly creamy sauce from coconut milk.
The fish stew is traditionally served with white rice to soak up all the delicious broth.
The stew gets a nice brightness from the lime and tomatoes, but it's the coconut milk that really brings this stew together. Creamy enough to round out the flavors, but light enough to keep the stew from getting too heavy, the coconut milk really does make this a perfectly comforting stew for this time of year!
Choosing Fish For Your Moqueca
The name Moqueca refers to the sauce, so you can have a Moqueca with any number of different types of seafood.
The main thing you want to keep in mind when you are choosing your fish is that it should be firm so that it doesn't fall apart in the simmering broth. Haddock, cod, grouper, striped bass, red snapper, mahi mahi, and swordfish are all great choices. Shellfish is also often mixed into the stew. Shrimp, prawns, lobster, crab meat, mussels, etc. are great choices.
We kept our stew simple, just using some nice firm haddock. But, feel free to use this recipe as a starting point, and throw in whatever seafood sounds tasty to you.
Palm Oil or No Palm Oil in Moqueca?
Traditionally, Moqueca is made using red palm oil (dende oil), which has a natural reddish color that gives this fish stew its characteristic red hue and adds a distinct flavor. Since sustainable palm oil can be difficult to find, we've substituted olive oil and added a bit of paprika to the recipe to achieve the characteristic color.
If you would like to try the stew the traditional way, you can find palm oil on Amazon.
Pairing Wine with Fish Stew
We'd recommend pairing this stew with a light white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, that has a bit of acidity to complement the lime and tomatoes in the stew.
More fish and seafood stew recipes from around the world
If you love fish and seafood then you will want to check out these recipes for soups and stews that are a comforting way to serve seafood in the cooler months.
- Guacho de Mariscos (Panamanian Seafood Stew)
- Ukha (Russian Fish Soup)
- Cacciucco (Tuscan Seafood Stew)
- Manhattan Fish Chowder
- New England Seafood Chowder
- Chupe de Camarones (Peruvian Shrimp Chowder)
Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 limes, juiced or ¼ c lime juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ lbs firm white fish (halibut or cod), cut into 2" pieces
For Serving
- 2 cups white rice, dry
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Stew
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 large tomatoes or 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained, diced
- 4 scallions chopped
- ¼ c fresh cilantro, chopped (plus extra for garnishing)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups fish stock or clam juice, vegetable broth, or equal amounts of both
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 c light coconut milk
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place the fish in a flat dish with high sides. Add the marinade, turning the fish to coat it with the marinade. Marinade the fish for 15-30 min.
- Start the rice. Place the dry rice in a saucepan with 3 cups of water (or as much water as specified on the package directions). Add the salt. Cover the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. When done, remove the rice from the heat and let stand, covered for 10 minutes, or until the stew is done.
- Once the fish is marinating and the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or 2 quart soup pot, over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green and red bell peppers, garlic, red pepper flakes. Sauté until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 - 6 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the diced tomatoes, scallions, chopped fresh cilantro and paprika. Mix well. Nestle the marinated fish pieces into the veggie mixture and pour in all of the remaining marinade. Add the fish stock and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 10 min.
- Remove the bay leaf and add the coconut milk. Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer 5 min, uncovered. Taste the Moqueca and season with salt and pepper if your tastes desire.
- Serve the soup over top of the white rice, sprinkled with fresh cilantro.
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
I just found palm oil on Amazon. I’m assuming I would omit the paprika?
Hi Connie. Yes, if you have palm oil, you can omit the paprika.
There is two traditional recipes in Brazil. From two states (Bahia and Espiríto Santo). The flavor from Espírito Santo is more soft.
Thanks for sharing this insight Renato!
Fabulous Sarah! Love it
Thanks Georgina!
Your Moqueca recipe sounds absolutely devine. I love the use of limes in a stew. Wonderful.
Thanks Colleen. They really give the stew a fresh, tropical flavor!
Delicious and tempting bowl of stew.
Thank you!
So happy you've joined the group!! Your dish looks amazing! I can't wait to try it!
Thanks Karen! We're trying to cook more Fish, so it is perfect! Everyone's recipes are so inspiring!
Looks wonderful! I'd love to try a bowl full!
Thanks Sue!
This sounds just lovely and it is lovely to look at as well.
Thanks Wendy!
I have a good friend from that region but she's never made this for me - I'll have to ask why! Sadly she's far away now but since I have your recipe now I can try for myself. Looks great.
You'll have to ask her about the stew! At least now you can try it yourself!
How did I know, when I saw the title in the link-up, that this was your recipe?! You always manage to make one of my favorite things. In every single event. Seriously. How do you manage that?!? We love moqueca!
Thanks Camilla! We must have similar tastes! 🙂 We had never heard of Moqueca before researching for this event, but it has become a favorite now!
That looks like the perfect way to warm up in this cool February weather!! Yumm!
Thanks Rebekah! It is!
Nicely done, Sarah! It is a shame about the palm oil because it adds a lot of flavor as well, but as you say, it's nigh impossible to find. This is one of my favorite dishes!
Thanks Stacy! One of these days we will track down some palm oil and give it at try the truly authentic way. It was delicious without it, so we can just imagine how tasty it would be with the added flavor form the oil.