Moqueca is a traditional Brazilian seafood stew, particularly associated with the coastal state of Bahia. This version, inspired by a memorable restaurant meal in Tavira, Portugal, combines tender salmon and prawns in a rich, fragrant coconut and tomato broth.Using the shells and heads of the prawns to make a quick stock adds wonderful depth of flavour, although ordinary fish or vegetable stock works perfectly well too.About Moqueca: Moqueca has a long history in Brazilian coastal cooking, with regional variations reflecting Indigenous, African and Portuguese culinary influences.
Salmon & Prawn Moqueca with Coconut Broth
Description
Moqueca is a traditional Brazilian seafood stew, particularly associated with the coastal state of Bahia. This version, inspired by a memorable restaurant meal in Tavira, Portugal, combines tender salmon and prawns in a rich, fragrant coconut and tomato broth.
Using the shells and heads of the prawns to make a quick stock adds wonderful depth of flavour, although ordinary fish or vegetable stock works perfectly well too.
About Moqueca: Moqueca has a long history in Brazilian coastal cooking, with regional variations reflecting Indigenous, African and Portuguese culinary influences.
Ingredients
For the prawn stock
For the moqueca
To serve
Instructions
-
Prepare the prawns
Peel the cooked prawns, reserving all the shells and heads for the stock. Cover the peeled prawns and keep them chilled until needed. -
Make the prawn stock
Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the prawn shells and heads and cook for 2–3 minutes, crushing the heads gently with a wooden spoon to release their flavour. Add the roughly chopped half onion and cook for another minute. Pour in 500 ml water, then add the garlic powder, coriander stalks and a few black peppercorns if using. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing the shells to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve 300–350 ml of stock. -
Cook the vegetables
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions and peppers and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until softened. Stir in the sweet paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder and fresh chilli and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5–7 minutes. -
Make the coconut broth
Pour in the coconut milk and 300 ml of the prawn stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. The broth should remain relatively loose rather than becoming thick. -
Cook the salmon
Nestle the salmon chunks into the broth. Simmer gently for 4–6 minutes, depending on their size, until just cooked through. Avoid vigorous stirring so the salmon remains in large pieces. -
Add the prawns
Add the peeled cooked prawns and simmer for 1–2 minutes, just until they are piping hot. -
Finish the moqueca
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir through the lemon juice and a generous handful of chopped fresh coriander. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. -
Serve
Serve with basmati rice or crusty bread. Ladle plenty of the coconut broth over each portion and finish with extra coriander and lemon wedges if desired.
Note
- If you do not want to make prawn stock, use 300–350 ml fish or vegetable stock instead.
- Lobster shells can be used to make stock using the same method.
- If using raw prawns, add them for the final 2–3 minutes and cook until opaque and completely cooked through.
- Fresh garlic can replace the garlic powder: use 1 clove in the stock and 4–5 cloves in the moqueca.
- If you do not like coriander, basil with a couple of mint leaves works well as an alternative.
- Moqueca should remain brothy. If it reduces too much, add a little more stock rather than continuing to reduce it.
- The stock and the vegetable-coconut broth can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat thoroughly before adding the seafood.
- Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and use within 24 hours. Reheat gently until piping hot and avoid repeated reheating.
- The recipe is naturally gluten free provided your stock and seasonings are certified gluten free where necessary.
