Fish Stews can be so boring…but not a BRAZILIAN Fish Stew!! With a fragrant tomato coconut sauce with a fresh hit of lime, this is such a different exotic way to serve up fish that is off the charts delicious – yet simple to make.
Brazilian Fish Stew
When I think of Brazilian food, I immediately have visions of grilled meat. Specifically, Churrasco. Serious quantities of grilled meat on giant skewers with the waiters walking from table to table, slicing the meat straight from the skewer onto my plate.
Carnivore heaven. 🙂
Because of the strong association of Brazilian food with Churrasco (and also because I don’t have a giant grill with a rotisserie) I thought sharing this traditional Brazilian fish stew would be nice for something a bit different!
The sauce of Brazilian Fish Stew is essentially a coconut curry sauce. Lightly spiced with a hit of lime, great depth of flavour!
What Brazilian Fish Stew tastes like
It tastes like a mild version of Thai Red Curry – and requires a whole lot less ingredients to make! The flavour of the sauce isn’t as kapow in-your-face, it is slightly more refreshing and not quite as rich.
While the flavour isn’t as intense, it doesn’t mean that it’s not as tasty! You will be amazing at the flavour you get from the relatively short list of ingredients. The key to this recipe is searing the fish first, and letting the sauce simmer down.
What you need
Here’s what you need to make Brazilian Fish Stew. See? I promised they were all “normal” ingredients!!!
Virtually any fish fillets will work here, though I’d avoid fish that dries out easily such as swordfish, kingfish, bonito and tuna. I’ve used snapper below. Other popular fish that will work well here include: tilapia, salmon, cod, basa, catfish, barramundi, bream, ling, John dory / Silver dory. See the recipes notes for more suggestions.
(Tip: These fish selection guidelines are good for any recipes where fish are braised or poached like this, such as Chinese Rice Soup and Goan Fish Curry.)
I remember the first time I saw this Brazilian Fish Stew recipe, I was a bit dubious that the sauce would have sufficient flavour with so few ingredients for the sauce. It gets a helping hand by searing the fish in the pan first. The golden bits left in the pan (it’s called fond) after searing the fish adds a good hit of savoury flavour into the sauce.
How to make Brazilian Fish Stew
And here’s how to make it. It takes around 1 hour all up including a brief marinating time for the fish, and simmering time to reduce the sauce.
What to serve with Fish Stew
Serve this over rice or mashed potato so you have something to soak up that glorious sauce. If you want to up the ante, try it with this Lime Rice – and a crusty hunk of bread to mop your plate clean wouldn’t go astray either (try this quick no-yeast Irish Bread).
If you’re going low carb, serve it over Cauliflower Rice or Creamy Mashed Cauliflower.
For a side salad, this Cucumber Salad with Herb & Garlic Dressing would go really well. The fresh, juicy, crunchy cucumber goes really well with this creamy coconut sauce. Otherwise, serve it alongside a leafy green salad with a vinaigrette (rather than creamy dressing) such as French Dressing, Italian or Balsamic Dressing.
Enjoy! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca Baiana)
Ingredients
Fish
- 1 lb / 500g firm white fish fillet , no skin, cut into 1″/2.5cm cubes (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Broth
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil (Note 4)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion , finely diced (brown, yellow or white)
- 1 red capsicum / bell pepper (large), halved and sliced
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar (any)
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 14 oz / 400ml coconut milk (full fat best, Note 2)
- 14 oz / 400ml canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup fish broth/stock (or chicken or vegetable, Note 3)
Finishes
- 1 – 2 tbsp lime juice , plus more for serving
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro / coriander , plus more for serving
Instructions
Fish
- Combine the fish, lime juice, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the fish and cook until just cooked through and light golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Broth
- Reduce the stove to medium high and heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in the same skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until the onion is starting to become translucent.
- Add the bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining Broth ingredients. Bring to simmer, then turn down to medium. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until it thickens. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the fish to the broth to reheat – about 2 minutes.
- Stir through lime juice.
- Garnish with cilantro/coriander and serve with rice or Lime Rice. For a low carb option, try Cauliflower Rice!
Recipe Notes:
a) Feast Magazine – Fish soup (moqueca baiana)
b) Brazilian Foodie – Moqueca Baiana
c) Saveur – Brazilian Fish Stew
d) Simply Recipes – Moqueca – Brazilian Fish Stew 6. Nutrition per serving assuming 4 servings, excludes rice.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published September 2015. Updated with new photos, brand new video and of course, a Life of Dozer section added!!
Less meat, more fish!
Life of Dozer
The one place in the new house he’s not allowed – the SPA. Can you imagine how much of his hair would come out with jets blasting on him?? Major filter clogging!!!
Made this for dinner last night. Only change I made was to increase brown sugar to 1tbs. Unbelievably delicious. Thank you for yet another winning recipe. This is a definite must make recipe
I LOVE Thai and Mexican food and this was the best of both worlds! LOVED it!! I did add a 1/2 tsp more of sugar and a bit of corn flour to thicken. Amazing dish!
Absolutely delicious! You never seem to amaze me! What I love even more is that my family loves everything too so we get to try a variety of different food that always tastes great! Thank you!
Excellent recipe!!! It’s now on my favorites! My husband who doesn’t like fish, loved it!
Another one converted!!! N x
I wish you had specified Pacific rather than Atlantic cod. I used the latter, not knowing Atlantic breaks apart easily when cooking. It was tasty anyway.
Wow, really easy and beautiful flavours. Definitely a keeper. Thanks Nagi 👍
Delicious! My husband called it “restaurant-quality.”
“Restaurant Quality” is an insult around here. We can do better! Remind your husband of that!
There are no words to describe the expulsion of flavor in this recipe. Oh my gosh 😍
OUT – STAND – ING! This was simple, healthy, and so well balanced & delicious. Thank you
You are welcome! N x
Can I replace the capsicum with something else? Hubby can’t eat it
If it is the spicyness, then replace it with Hungarian sweet paprika. If it is an allergy, then this is not the recipe for him. The red bell pepper is a base flavor in this dish.
What a delicious dish !
I used rockling and light coconut milk and it was perfect. Something different but so yum .
It will go into my Nagi favourites 😀
great as always!
Wow! This was amazing, thought we’d have Brazilian food for something completely different and it was an instant favourite. Served it with some rice, green beans and cucumber salad. 10/10 recommend.
Hi!
What is the UK conversion from a cup of fish stock into ml’s please?
In Australia a cup is 250 ml – presume the same in UK?
This was so delicious! So easy and quick to make. I had everything lying around in the pantry/fridge already. Is usually make baked fish so I had basa ready to go. I saw this recipe and decided to try something different instead. So glad I did! You nail it every time! By far my go-to for recipes is you!
I’m so glad you loved it Jessica!! N x
Hi Nagi!
I am from Brazil and definitely can assure your recipe is the best one I have found so far in Australia to get the closest as possible to the genuine Brazilian ingredients-made! You always nail it! Love your blog!
Hi made this for family party went down very well was asked for receipt i added some prawns thanks again for lovely recipe
Hi Nagi, I am allergic to coconut milk. Could you please advise an alternativealternative.
Cheers
Lee
Hi Lee, there really isn’t an alternative that would get the same flavour here sorry. The closest thing is evaporated milk. N x
Hi
Thinking of adding some king Prawns to this world you cook them first like the fish
Thanks Gillian
Hi Gillian, a quick sear then remove from the pan, add them in at the last minute so they don’t overcook here 🙂 N x
Very good. Used blue hake fish. Made exactly as instructed but used smoked paprika (only one I had. Served with jasmine rice. I would not change anything.