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Moqueca Capixaba: Kingfish Stew

Moqueca Capixaba

The moqueca of Espírito Santo is proudly different from Bahia’s: no coconut milk, no palm oil, just fish, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and annatto oil, cooked in a black clay pot.

  • Prep 20 min + 30 min marinate
  • Cook 25 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Easy
Photo: Sintegrity · CC BY-SA 4.0
Served with: Brazilian Fish-Broth Porridge ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the fish

For the moqueca

Method

Step by step, the way it is done on the island.

  1. Marinate. Rub the fish with the lime juice, garlic and salt. Let it sit 30 minutes.
  2. Color the oil. In a clay pot or heavy wide pan, warm the olive oil with the annatto over low heat for 1–2 minutes until it turns deep orange.
  3. Layer. Spread half the onions and tomatoes in the pot. Lay the fish on top, then cover with the rest of the onions, tomatoes, the hot pepper and half the herbs.
  4. Cook. Add the water, cover and cook over medium heat 15–20 minutes without stirring, until the fish is cooked and the tomatoes have made their own sauce.
  5. Serve. Scatter with the remaining cilantro and scallions and serve in the pot with white rice and pirão made from the broth.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

Brazil

Brazilian Fish-Broth Porridge

Pirão

Hot fish broth thickened with cassava flour into a silky, savory porridge. Along the Brazilian coast it is served with moqueca and peixada so nothing from the fish goes to waste.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Serves 4–6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 1–1½ lb (450–700 g) fish heads and frames, gills removed
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (130 g) fine cassava flour (farinha de mandioca fina)

How to make it

  1. Make the broth. Simmer the fish heads and frames in the water with a pinch of salt for 25 minutes. Strain, saving 4 cups of broth. Pick off any meat to add back.
  2. Season. In a pot, cook the onion in the olive oil 4 minutes, add the garlic and tomato and cook 3 minutes more. Add the broth, salt and cilantro and bring to a boil.
  3. Thicken. Lower the heat and rain in the cassava flour, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Cook 5–8 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy like soft polenta.
  4. Serve. Stir in the picked fish meat and serve hot with fish stew and rice.

Photo: Just a Brazilian man from Brazil · CC BY 2.0

More ways to cook Kingfish

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

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TrinidadTrini Curry Kingfish