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The complete moqueca meal (with rice, pirão and chilli oil) |
Last
Friday, we invited our friends Az, Mich and their kids over for dinner to thank them for
helping us solve loads of problems with our building works while we were in
Brazil for Christmas. Unfortunately, it was a very sad Christmas, as my mum
passed away in November. Every time we went back home, mum used to greet us
with a local dish called Moqueca (mo-ke-ka).
A traditional dish from indigenous tribes on the Brazilian coast, It’s great as
an everyday meal but also perfect for special occasions. It’s a healthy and
light meal with simple ingredients but exciting flavours. I chose it to welcome
and thank our friends.
We cook the ingredients in a clay pot
which adds extra flavour to the food. These pots are hand-made by a co-op of women, “as
paneleiras” (the pot making ladies), with clay from the area, fired in open air
and finished with mangrove tree sap. Everyone in our family has a collection of
such pots in various shapes and sizes, but you don’t have to own one to enjoy a
nice moqueca.
A paneleira shaping the pots. |
The pots ready to be fired. |
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Here they burn the pots before dying them with the mangrove sap. |
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Sap is applied sealing the pots, giving them the black colour and a distinctive flavour to the meals. |
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The finished product: pots of all sizes. |
The dish resembles a stew and is made with seafood (fish,
prawns, mussels or crab), onions, garlic, coriander and tomatoes. There are
some variations, such as the plantain moqueca,
that can be used as a side dish.
In the region of Espírito
Santo (where my family comes from), we use olive oil and the dish is called Moqueca Capixaba (Mo-ke-ka
Ca-pee-sha-ba). In Bahia, further up North on the coast, they use
palm oil (dendê) and coconut milk,
and it’s called Moqueca Bahiana
(Mo-Ke-ka bae-an-na).
The traditional Moqueca
Capixaba is served with rice and pirão
(broth and cassava root flour made into a thick sauce), or with plantain moqueca, and brought to the table in the same
clay pot in which it was cooked.
One of the most valuable things I
inherited from my mum was her recipe book. Moqueca
is a dish that I have a very strong and emotional connection to. It’s a form of
celebration and a way of bringing people together. Like my mum, I love to share
it with the people I love.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
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Fish moqueca. Delicious flavours. |
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Prawn moqueca |
Moqueca
Capixaba (Mo-ke-ka Ca-pee-sha-ba)
serves 4-5 people
Ingredients
4-5 chunky fresh fish fillets or steaks (approx 200g each of sustainable cod, haddock, hake or other firm, white-fleshed fish)
4-5 chunky fresh fish fillets or steaks (approx 200g each of sustainable cod, haddock, hake or other firm, white-fleshed fish)
5 ripe
tomatoes, chopped
2 medium
size onions, chopped
1 pack of
fresh coriander, chopped
3 spring
onions (chopped)
1
tablespoon of **Annatto seeds oil
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
For the
marinade
2 cloves
of garlic (crushed)
Juice of
1 lime or lemon
Sea salt
** Annatto oil
– How to make it
If you live outside Brasil you can find annatto seeds in specialty shops. Here in London you can but them at Spice mountain in Borough market and The Spice Shop in Portobello Rd.
1 ½ tablespoons of annatto seeds
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
In a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and annatto seeds. Turn the
heat on to medium. Stir until the oil takes on a reddish tinge. When it reaches
a pre-boiling stage, turn off the heat and let it cool. Do not overcook the
seeds as they become bitter and can pop, making a big mess.
Using a sieve, transfer the oil to a container.
Your annatto oil is now ready to be used.
Method
Pat-dry
the fish fillets and put in a bowl.
Crush the
garlic with the salt and add the lemon juice then pour over the fish and toss
to combine.
Cover and
leave it to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
In a big clay pot or casserole, put the olive oil
and annatto oil together, layer it, in order, with chopped tomatoes, chopped
onions, coriander and spring onions. Place the fish or seafood of your choice
on top.
DO NOT add any water.
Bring to a simmer, add a few drops
of lemon, then cover the pot. Adjust the heat to gently simmer until the vegetables
are softened and have released liquid, and the fish is just cooked through -
about 20-25 minutes. Season and sprinkle fresh coriander on top.
Serve immediately with rice.
A healthy note: Moqueca is a powerhouse of healthy ingredients. Fish is a great source of
omega 3 (the beneficial fat that is good for your heart), protein, calcium,
phosphorus, iodine, vitamins A, B and D. Tomatoes are very rich in antioxidants. When they are cooked with olive oil,
they become a rich source of the carotenoide lycopene. Also, rich in potassium
and vitamin C. Onions are a good source of quercetin (a flavonoid that is a
natural anti-inflammatory), which may help relieve
allergies and prevent complications of diabetes.
Till next week!
Margot, fiquei com água na boca! Beijo!
ReplyDeleteMarilia querida, obrigada! Quem resiste a uma moqueca, certo? Ainda mais com esse nosso sangue capixaba. Bjs
ReplyDelete