Chef John's Brazilian Fish Stew
Description
Sweet and hot peppers with coconut milk make the sauce for poaching chunks of fish in Chef John's "weeknight version" of a classic Brazilian seafood stew.
Ingredients
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2 cups water
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1 cup uncooked white rice
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
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1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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4 cloves minced garlic
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2 teaspoons paprika
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1 teaspoon ground cumin
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cayenne pepper to taste
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1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
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1 teaspoon soy sauce
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1 red or yellow bell pepper, halved and thinly sliced
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2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
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1/4 cup chopped green onion
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1 1/2 pounds sea bass fillets, cut into chunks
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1 pinch salt
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1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
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2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Directions
1
Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
2
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir just until onions start to get soft, 3 or 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking about 3 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and add soy sauce. When mixture starts to bubble, let it simmer about 5 minutes.
3
Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and green onions. Let mixture come back to a simmer. Transfer fish to skillet; stir. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until fish starts to flake, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt, cilantro, and lime juice; stir carefully to avoid breaking up the fish. Serve with rice.