Potato Cheddar Guinness Soup

 St. Pat’s is around the corner and in anticipation we’re serving up a warm bowl of potato cheddar soup, flavored with a bit of Irish Guinness extra stout. Do you ever cook with Guinness stout? It has a wonderfully deep taste from roasted barley and malt, perfect to accent this potato cheddar soup.

I’ve made several batches of this soup. Leftovers are dangerous, I tend to eat them all!
Now, one of the things I’ve learned over the years is that either you are a Guinness fan or not. If you are not, then you likely will not like this soup. But if you are, I think you will love it.


Ireland produces some of the best sharp cheddar cheeses out there. So if you have access to Irish sharp cheddar, by all means use it! You might not need to use as much as is called for in this recipe. Maybe 4 ounces instead of 6. But experiment to find the balance you like.

 

Potato Cheddar Guinness Soup Recipe

Sharp cheddar cheeses vary with intensity of flavor. For this recipe we assume a standard grocery store label extra sharp cheddar.
If you are using a specialty sharp cheddar (some of the Irish cheddars are lovely), you may be able to accomplish the same amount of flavor with less cheese than is called for in this recipe.
Some people are much more sensitive to bitter flavors than others. It’s genetic. So if that’s you, I would use only a quarter of a cup or skip the beer entirely, and just add more stock.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 celery rib, chopped or sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock (add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt if using unsalted stock)
• 1 cup (250 ml) Guinness extra stout (do not use draught)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 6 ounces (170 g) grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• Chopped chives for garnish

Read More: Potato Cheddar Guinness Soup

Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Move over lasagna, make way for stuffed shells!

There’s something whimsically satisfying about stuffed pasta shells. Is it the shape that conjures up a sunny day at the beach with ocean surf turning over pebbles and shells as the waves retreat? Or is it the seasoned ricotta stuffing hiding inside?

I’m guessing pasta shells were invented by some mischievous pasta maker who created the shape as an act of rebellion against every parent whose ever said to a child, “stop playing with your food.”

This stuffed shell recipe is a nod to spring, with a ricotta stuffing packed with chopped fresh mint leaves.

Usually when I add mint to a recipe, I do so in moderation. Mint is strong. But in this case, ricotta is stronger, and you do need the leaves from an entire bunch of mint to make an impact, and to hold its own with the flavors coming from the tomatoes and Italian sausage.

The combination? Fantastic! The mint, ricotta, tomato, pasta, sausage, together? Perfect.

 

Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells Recipe

I love the taste and texture of a chunky tomato sauce with this recipe. But if you prefer a smoother sauce, please feel free to pulse it a few times in a food processor or blender.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces jumbo shell pasta (1/2 standard box)

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage (out of casing)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (packed)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Mint ricotta stuffing:

• 15 (or 16) ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 bunch of mint, leaves only, chopped (about 1 cup packed)
• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Topping:

• 1 ounce (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces (1 cup) grated Mozzarella cheese

Read More: Mint Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Jerk Chicken

I recently had the jerk chicken at a local Davis hangout, the psychedelically inspired Delta of Venus. The place looks a bit scruffy, but my oh my is their jerk chicken good. And hot. My meal there led me to do some research on jerk preparations. Jerk seasoning, if you are unfamiliar with it, is based on two main ingredients – Scotch Bonnet chili peppers (or habaneros) and allspice, and is how they like to cook chicken in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. The following recipe we cooked up isn’t as scorching as the Delta of Venus’, but it is still plenty spicy, and great the next day in a chicken salad. Serve with rice (to spread out the heat) and a very large glass of cold beer. Do you have a favorite jerk seasoning recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments.

Jerk Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup malt vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 2 Tbsp dark rum
• 2 Scotch bonnet peppers (or habaneros), with seeds, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 4 green onion tops, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme or 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons ground allspice
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons molasses

• 1 (5 or 6 pound) roasting chicken, cut in half, lengthwise
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• Salt and pepper

Safety note. Scotch Bonnet and Habanero chile peppers are very hot and can cause extreme pain if they come in contact with your eyes. We strongly recommend wearing protective gloves while handling the chilies and the jerk paste.

Read More: Jerk Chicken

Bavarian Sauerkraut

One of our favorite side dishes is hot sauerkraut, delicious served with pork or bockwurst – a mild German sausage. You can also make a sandwich with toasted or grilled dark rye bread, melted Jack, havarti, or Muenster cheese, the sauerkraut, and avocado.

Bavarian Sauerkraut Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 16-oz can or jar of sauerkraut (best is fresh sauerkraut in jars, found in refrigerated section of grocery store)
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup peeled and chopped apple
• 10 juniper berries, cracked
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Read More: Bavarian Sauerkraut

Spinach and Orzo Salad

“Needs more cheese.” “Needs more vinegar.” “Needs fewer olives.” “You could add more spinach.”

My parents love it when I cook for them, especially when it’s a new recipe and they get to be the taste testers.

They happily put up with the delays to the meal due to my tweaking the dish as they “dish out” their suggestions. And with the delays that come from my attempts to take the perfect photo (“Don’t touch that, I still haven’t shot it!”).

I love their input, as they know much more about food than I do, and their suggestions almost always result in something better.



 This spinach, orzo, and feta salad recipe comes from our happy family collaboration. Feel free to experiment with the proportions.

Many recipes I’ve found online call for twice as much orzo to the other ingredients than I’ve listed here. I think there is a lot of room for maneuvering when you are working with great ingredients like these.

Spinach and Orzo Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• Salt
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 6 ounces feta cheese, roughly crumbled
• 2 ounces Kalamata Greek olives pitted, roughly chopped, about 1/2 cup (about 20 olives)
• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion (about half a red onion)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar (can substitute white vinegar or lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Pinch dried basil
• Pinch dried tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Read More: Spinach and Orzo Salad

Hawaiian Oxtail Soup

Oxtails! My oh my how I love oxtails.

We grew up with oxtail stew, a deeply rich, hearty stew perfect for cold days. You don’t find them that often in the market, so when they appear I’ll usually pick up a few pounds.

The oxtail is the tail of a steer, usually cut into segments. It is a flavorful, tough cut, perfect for slow braising in stews or soups, well marbled with fat, and here’s the best part, the bones have a ton of collagen, so good for making a gelatinous stock.

Several years ago, my colleague Reid from the Hawaiian blog Ono Kine Grindz wrote about Hawaiian oxtail soup, which completely piqued my interest.

Apparently oxtail soup is served all over Hawaii. Unlike the thick and hearty stew I grew up with, the Hawaiian soup is relatively light (a blessing post holidays), with a thin broth and seasonings from ginger, star anise, orange, green onions, and cilantro.

Peanuts make an appearance too. What a combination! The flavors just sparkle together.

By the way, although oxtails are often hard to find at regular markets, Costco often carries them.

Hawaiian Oxtail Soup Recipe

An odd ingredient, one that isn't readily accessible in the stores around here at least, is dried orange peel. (Apparently you can buy it pretty easily in Hawaii.)

What I did for this ingredient is I used a vegetable peeler to strip off a long strip of peel (just the zest) from an orange. This I set on a shelf in my kitchen for a week to dry out. It worked great!

I wondered why one would use the dried and not fresh orange peel and I think perhaps it's because of the long cook time; maybe the dried peel holds up better to long cooking?

If I didn't think ahead to dry the peel, I would just use a couple teaspoons of orange zest instead.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs oxtails
• 1 strip dried orange peel (zest, not the pith)
• 2 star anise
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• Salt, at least a tablespoon, more to taste
• 1/2 cup of shelled, skinned, raw peanuts (can sub roasted unsalted peanuts)
• 1/8 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• A handful of fresh mustard greens, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups, loosely packed)

Garnishes:

• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Green onions, white and green parts, sliced on diagonal
• Freshly grated ginger

Read More: Hawaiian Oxtail Soup

Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Have you ever had stuffed cabbage rolls with sauerkraut? It’s a classic Hungarian dish. Lightly cooked large cabbage leaves are stuffed with a mixture of paprika-spiced ground pork and pork sausage, and then rolled up into little bundles.

They’re cooked over tomato-infused sauerkraut and then served with a sour-cream sauerkraut sauce. So good!

Like tamales, they take some time to prepare, but the result? Fabulous.

Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

Paprika can go flat if it's too old. Make sure you taste test your paprika for cooking with it in this recipe. If it doesn't have a strong flavor, it's no longer good and you'll need to replace it.

Cook the rice while preparing the cooked cabbage.

Caraway seeds can also be used to season the stuffing in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs sauerkraut (preferably a good brand, such as Bubbies, that you would find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store)
• 1 large head green cabbage
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup minced onions
• 1/4 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3/4 cup cooked white rice (from about 1/4 cup of dry rice)
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 2 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (or plain paprika if your market doesn't offer a choice)
• 1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram (can sub oregano)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup water mixed with 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup sour cream

Read More: Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Red Lentil Dal

One of the things I love about red lentils is that they cook up so quickly. Unlike their sturdier brown and green lentil cousins, when cooked, red lentils quickly fall apart into a smooth mush-like consistency.

So, if you get a late morning hankering for some lentils, you can easily whip up a batch in time for lunch.

This red lentil dal recipe comes by way of my friend Kerissa Barron, who spent several months living and traveling through India.

According to Kerissa, every region of India has its own version of the Indian staple dal, which is essentially lentil soup.


This particular version comes out of the state of West Bengal and features Bengali five spice, called panch phoran, a fragrant blend of fennel seed, fenugreek, black sesame seed, cumin seed and mustard seed.

In West Bengal and throughout India, dal is eaten at nearly every meal, serving as a sauce, a soup and a way to mash and stick food together (traditionally they eat with their hands in this region).
I’ve made Kerissa’s recipe a couple of times and love the flavors and how easy it is to make. Do you have a favorite Indian dal recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments.

Red Lentil Dal Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils (orange lentils will work as well)
• 3 cups water
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons grapeseed, vegetable, canola or other high-heat oil
• 1/2 cup white or yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped and made into a paste*
• 2 teaspoons of Bengali five spice mix (panch phoron) or 1/2 tsp black (or white) sesame seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, and (if available) 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1 lime, juiced (equal to about 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice)
• 8 sprigs cilantro, de-stemmed and chopped

• Cooked basmati rice, optional

*To create a garlic paste, finely chop the garlic, then sprinkle with a little kosher salt (to act as an abrasive) and crush with the side of a large chopping knife over the mixture until garlic breaks down and becomes paste-like.

Read More: Red Lentil Dal

Cowboy Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

The first time I saw a “cowboy steak” at our local butcher, all I could think was, “wow, that’s one BIG steak”.

Looking like a two-inch thick steak ping-pong paddle, the cowboy cut of steak is actually a beef rib-eye, bone-in, with the bone Frenched, so that if you were the cowboy eating this steak, you could just hold it by the bone. (So cowboys don’t use forks and knives?)

I can just see Marlboro Man now, sitting by the campfire, tin coffee cup in one hand, cowboy steak in the other. (Hmm. Maybe I should ask Ree, the Pioneer Woman herself, if cowboys even eat steaks like this.)

Or maybe it’s just a marketing ploy to sell more steak.


In any case, we love cooking meat bone-in for the flavor, and this is a very flavorful cut. We marinated the steak in, and served it with, an Argentinean chimichurri sauce, appropriate because, as you know, Argentina is home to the famed gauchos, South American cowboys.

Have you ever prepared a cowboy steak cut? If so, what’s your favorite way of doing so? Please let us know in the comments.

 

Cowboy Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

A cowboy steak is a rather thick (2-inches) cut of meat. It lends itself well to searing first, to get browning, then slower cooking with either indirect heat on the grill, or in the oven.

Ingredients

Steak

• 1 2-lb "Cowboy Steak" (frenched beef rib steak)
• Salt
• Pepper

Chimichurri

• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
• 4-6 garlic cloves
• 3 Tbsps fresh oregano leaves
• 3 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Read More: Cowboy Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Becca’s Jambalaya

My friend Becca’s favorite dish to make for a gathering is her shrimp and sausage jambalaya. Becca grew up in Biloxi, Mississippi where if that’s where you’re from, you learn how to make jambalaya!

A few notes about this wonderful recipe. It makes a lot. This batch easily serves 12. Now, when Becca makes it, she usually scales it by 3x, making enough for over 30 people, which means there’s always plenty to send home with folks, and plenty for leftovers.

Becca uses Tony Cachere’s seasoning in her jambalaya, which is a standard seasoning in that part of the country. You can buy it online, or look for a recipe online to approximate the herbs and spices in it.

 

Becca’s Jambalaya Recipe

The ingredients are listed in amounts appropriate for a jambalaya batch for serving 12 people. You can easily double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients

• Andouille and smoked sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick - 2 cups
• Tony Chachere's Creole Jambalaya Dinner Mix - One 8-oz box
• Water - 2 1/4 cups
• Uncle Ben's converted original long grain rice - 1 cup
• Chicken broth (homemade is best) 2 1/4 cups
• Onion - a mix of yellow, red, and green onions (tops included), all chopped - 2 cups total
• Bell peppers - a mix of yellow, red, and green, all chopped - 2 cups total
• Celery, chopped - 1 cup
• Bay leaves - 2 (Make sure they are fresh and strong, if not, add more)
• Garlic, minced - 1 heaping Tablespoon
• Whole cooked tomatoes - 1/3 of a 32-oz can, break up the tomatoes with your fingers as they go in, reserve the tomato juice to add if necessary
• Diced tomatoes - 1/3 of a 14-oz can
• Tomato sauce - 1/3 of an 8-oz can
• Dried thyme - 1 teaspoon
• Tabasco sauce - several sprinkles
• Oregano - 1 teaspoon
• Cayenne pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
• Sugar - 1 pinch
• Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning - to taste
• Fresh Shrimp, in shell, but cut to make it easy to remove from shell - 1 1/2 to 2 lbs (Remove shells and store shrimp in ice water while shelling.)
• Lemon juice - juice of half a lemon for each lb of shrimp

ead More: Becca’s Jambalaya

Danish Pork Burgers

I met Iowa hog farmer Paul Willis at the Fancy Food Show in January and naturally our conversation turned to food and recipes. “Have you ever had a pork burger?,” Paul asked, eyes bright. Upon hearing my response in the negative, Paul added, “You have to try my wife Phyllis’ pork burgers. They’re amazing.”

Thinking of burgers made out of pork, I can’t say I was convinced, even when he continued, “Everyone in Iowa eats pork burgers.” But when Paul pointed out his wife’s recipe in the Niman Ranch Cookbook I saw the light.

These burgers aren’t hamburgers made out of ground pork. They are more like large, flattened Swedish meatballs. Very tasty. Thank you Paul and Niman Ranch, and thank you Phyllis for a fabulous recipe.

Danish Pork Burgers Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 16 saltine crackers, crumbled
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil for cooking
• Dijon mustard for serving

Read More: Danish Pork Burgers

Eggs Mimosa with Artichoke Tapenade

So pretty! 
Have you ever heard of eggs mimosa? Neither had I until my French sweetheart introduced me to them. They’re like deviled eggs, except they’re not deviled.

Instead, you stuff hard boiled egg whites and then grate the yolks over everything, resulting in a gorgeous platter reminiscent of the puff-like brilliant yellow mimosa flowers that abound in Provence and along the Mediterranean coast.

Since most of the egg yolks are used to create the mimosa affect, we need to stuff the egg whites with something else. For this recipe we use an artichoke tapenade, made with artichoke hearts, green olives, capers, fresh herbs, and some mayonnaise to bind it all together.

I’ve also tossed some grated Parmesan into the mixture, because it just tastes good with the artichokes. You can leave it out if you want.

I’m so used to stuffed eggs with some variation of yolks and mayonnaise for the stuffing that this one took some playing with to get right. It isn’t your typical deviled egg.

It’s as if our tried-and-true version took a road trip to France and came back decked out in flowers and singing Edith Piaf. Both my Frenchman and my mother approve; I hope you do too!

Eggs Mimosa with Artichoke Tapenade Recipe

We are using canned artichoke hearts that have been packed in water. You could also use freshly cooked artichoke hearts. Just avoid the artichoke hearts that are packed in a marinade; those would overwhelm this dish.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, hard boiled
• 3/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts (from about 1/2 14-ounce can artichokes hearts in water, drained)
• 1/2 teaspoon capers, drained
• 4 pitted green olives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced chives or green onion greens, packed
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon and/or parsley, packed
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, packed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Sprigs of mâche lettuce or baby spinach for garnish 

 

Read More: Eggs Mimosa with Artichoke Tapenade

Basque Lamb Stew

Are you familiar with Basque cooking? Basque Country is a region bordering Spain and France at the Western end of the Pyrenees mountains. Basque descendants and communities can be found all over California and Nevada. (More on the history of the Basque people in the Wikipedia.)

Lamb stews are typical of Basque cuisine, as are dishes that include both tomatoes and sweet red peppers.


My father first found the recipe from which we adapted this basque lamb stew in an old issue of Saveur Magazine. He has at least 20 years of back issues of Gourmet, Saveur, and other cooking magazines that he keeps around just waiting for a spare moment to review.

We’ve made this stew several times and just love it. It seems a little odd in that the lamb is first marinated in herbs and white wine, and then braised in stock and red wine. Mixing wines in cooking is so rarely done, but apparently it does happen on occasion in Spanish cooking (we’ve found references in Spanish cookbooks).

Updated, from the recipe archive. First posted in 2005. Enjoy!

 

Basque Lamb Stew Recipe

Feel free to substitute some or all of the paprika with smoked paprika.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 1 tablespoon chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 10-ounce can roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry, full-bodied red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock*
• Freshly ground black pepper

* If cooking gluten-free, use homemade chicken stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

Read More: Basque Lamb Stew

Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew

When the days are cold, dark, and damp, all we really want to do around here is to curl up with a nice big pot of stew. Known as “Carbonnade a la Flamande”, this Belgian beef stew is made with hearty Belgian ale and plenty of onions. The flavor is a little sweet and sour, the sweet from the onions and either a little added sugar or tomato paste, and the sour from a touch of mustard or vinegar.

Since I first posted this recipe I’ve made a few adjustments to the recipe itself, and we’ve received several recommendations for which ale to use (check the comments). The general view is that you should try to use a Belgian ale for this stew. If you can’t find a Belgian ale, or a Belgian-style ale, you can try Newcastle Brown Ale or Anchor Steam (the last two recommended by Cooks Illustrated for their carbonnade).

We found a couple American ales made in the Belgian style at our local Whole Foods and for our most recent batch of stew used a bottle of Ommegang Abbey Ale. Apparently it is also traditional to include some beef liver with the stew. We passed on this, but if a stew exists that could hold up to the strong flavors of liver, this one would be it. Wonderfully hearty, flavorful, and filling.

Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew Recipe

You are trying to achieve a sweet and sour flavor with this stew. So, you can swap out the sugar for tomato paste and you can use cider vinegar instead of mustard if you want. You can also brown the meat in vegetable oil instead of butter, though it will be more flavorful with the butter. You can also use a couple slices of bread, instead of adding flour, to thicken the stew.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 3 medium yellow onions sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups)
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz bottle) Belgian beer
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

Read More: Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew

Moqueca – Brazilian Fish Stew

It seems like every culture with a coastline has their version of a seafood stew. The French have bouillabaise, the Portuguese bacalhoada, New England chowder and San Francisco cioppino.

In Brazil, they make moqueca (pronounced “mo-KEH-kah”), a stew made with fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and in the northern state of Bahia, coconut milk.

My first encounter with moqueca was a salmon version of the stew prepared by Brazilian blogger Fernanda of Chucrute com Salsicha. So good!

We love making fish stew, but had never thought to use a base of coconut milk. Since then, every Brazilian I’ve met, when the conversation turns to food (as it invariably does), their eyes light up at the mention of moqueca.

A few words about this recipe. First, it’s easy. As exotic as it may sound, you probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry (you’ll want to get fresh fish), and with prep, making rice, the total time involved is less than an hour.

Second, since this is an American blog, we’re dealing with ingredients we can get here. True Bahian moqueca is made with a fish caught off the coast of northern Brazil.


In our case, we’ll want to use a firm white fish. I used cod for this batch, which is barely firm enough. Halibut would hold up better.

You can also add shrimp or other shell fish to this stew. Palm oil is traditionally used in making moqueca, but it’s hard to come by here, so we are using olive oil.

Finally, adjust the seasonings to taste! If it doesn’t seem flavorful enough to you, you need to add more salt. And probably a little more lime or lemon juice and paprika too.

To any Brazilians who might be reading this blog (Olé Brasil!) if you have a favorite moqueca recipe, please tell us about it the comments.

 

Moqueca – Brazilian Fish Stew Recipe

Traditional moqueca uses palm oil. If you can find it (I checked three stores here and was not able to locate any) add just a tablespoon to the stew along with the coconut milk.

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, or cod, rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 cup chopped spring onion, or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
• 1/4 cup green onion greens, chopped
• 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, chopped (or sliced)
• 2 cups chopped (or sliced) tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp paprika (Hungarian sweet)
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped with some set aside for garnish
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk

Rice

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 3/4 cups boiling water (check your rice package for the appropriate ratio of liquid to rice for the type of rice you are using)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Read More: Moqueca – Brazilian Fish Stew