Moqueca Capixaba

If it wasn’t for the cilantro, and a few shakes of Adobo spice mix, this could be a European dish. Serves 6

Rice

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups white rice. Edna used Goya jasmine Water commensurate with the rice you are using

Stew

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon adobo powder (a Latino spice mix with garlic powder and other spices. Try to get it with either paprika or with annatto – or blend your own like I did) 12 ounce jar of Goya sofrito

2 large spoonfuls of Ragù or similar marinara sauce

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium to large onion, chopped

1 pound swordfish (or another tough fish that you can stew)

1 pound shrimp

1 pound ocean fish of your choice, like rockfish or cod. If using thin filets, roll and toothpick them

2 large bunches fresh cilantro, trimmed and chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 bunch of green onion, white part only, chopped

First, make the rice. Put a medium sized pot on medium heat. Add the oil, garlic and salt. Stir often, but also leave it alone as much as possible. Let the garlic turn past yellow towards brown. When the aroma smells like it’s getting ready to go from irresistible to a bit questionable, add the rice. Stir it around to coat evenly. Add the water. Cook with the lid cracked on low until done.

For the stew, put a heavy pot on medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and salt, and fry the garlic. Add the adobo spices, and stir. Add the sofrito sauce and marinara sauce, followed by the onions and tomatoes and a bit of water to deglaze the pot, and bring to a simmer.

Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. Add the swordfish, arranging the chunks in the sauce, adding water as necessary to cover. Simmer for 30 minutes – while you clean the kitchen, Edna advised.

Add the shrimp, along with any other similarly fast-cooking seafoods. Whatever fish you use should be tough enough to not fall apart. Cook another ten minutes. Finally, add the chopped bell peppers, cilantro and green onions. Spread it around the top, stirring gingerly, but don’t disturb the fish. You don’t want to stir the moqueca any more than you want to stir the rice.

After another ten minutes turn off the heat. Serve with the rice.