Moqueca

February 15, 2010

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4inch dice

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4inch dice

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4inch dice

1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4inch dice

2 bay leaves

12 cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 teaspoon salt

1 serrano chiles minced

3 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice

1 can (14 1/2 ounce) canned coconut milk

6 green onions, finely sliced

1 pound sea scallops

1 pound whitefish fillets, cut into cubes

1 pound 16/20 domestic shrimp, shelled and deveined

Juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoons dende oil (see Note)

1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Method: In a large sauté pan or sauce pan add olive oil, when very hot but not smoking add onions and peppers. Cook for a few minutes, turn heat to medium, add tomatoes. When tomatoes have cooked down add green onions, bay leaves, fish stock, coconut milk, and chiles. Simmer until peppers are soft, about 10 minutes or so, add seafood, and turn heat to very low or completely off. The seafood will be better if not cooked to death. Finish with dende oil and lime juice. Can be served with fried yuca, and garnished with cilantro.