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Brazilian Home-Style Fish Stew

Peixe Ensopado

Every fishing family on the island of Santa Catarina has its own ensopado: thick fish steaks stewed in layers of tomato, onion, peppers and cilantro, with the broth saved to make the pirão.

  • Prep 20 min + 30 min marinating
  • Cook 30 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 stew

Method

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

  1. Marinate the fish. Toss the fish steaks with the lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
  2. Build the layers. Pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy pot. Lay down half the onion, tomato and peppers, then all the fish in one layer with its marinade. Sprinkle with half the cilantro and green onions and all the paprika.
  3. Top it off. Cover with the rest of the onion, tomato and peppers. Pour the water down the side of the pot.
  4. Stew. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat 20–25 minutes without stirring, just shaking the pot now and then, until the fish flakes and the vegetables make a rich sauce.
  5. Serve. Scatter the rest of the cilantro and green onions over the top. Ladle out a cup of the broth for the pirão, then serve the fish with white rice and pirão.

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 Porgy

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Setúbal, PortugalPortuguese Butterflied Grilled Porgy
Amalfi Coast, ItalyPorgy in Crazy Water
Cabo Rojo, Puerto RicoGriddled Porgy with Green Mojo