About this Dish
A fragrant Brazilian seafood stew of fish or prawns cooked in coconut milk, tomatoes, onions and dendê (palm oil). The rich orange colour comes from the dendê, a West African ingredient brought by enslaved people. Served in a clay pot with rice and pirão.
IngredientsServes 4
🐟Firm white fish fillets (such as cod or sea bass), 700g cut into large chunks
🍤Large raw prawns, 300g peeled and deveined
🥥Coconut milk, 400ml full-fat tin
🍅Ripe tomatoes, 3 large, sliced into rounds
🧅White onion, 1 large, sliced into rounds
🫑Green and red bell peppers, 1 of each, sliced into rings
🧄Garlic cloves, 4, finely minced
🫙Dendê (palm oil), 3 tablespoons
🌿Fresh coriander, a large handful, roughly chopped
🍋Lime, 1, juiced
Method
1
Season the fish chunks with lime juice, half the minced garlic, salt and pepper and let them marinate for 20 minutes while you prepare everything else.2
In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot or clay pot, layer half the onion rounds on the bottom, followed by half the tomatoes and half the peppers. Lay the marinated fish pieces over the top, then scatter over the prawns.3
Layer the remaining onion, tomatoes and peppers over the seafood, then scatter over the rest of the garlic and half the coriander. Season generously with salt.4
Pour the coconut milk evenly over everything, then drizzle the dendê oil on top — this gives the stew its iconic deep orange colour. Do not stir; the layering is traditional.5
Place the pot over a medium heat, cover with a lid and cook for 20–25 minutes. The stew should gently bubble and the fish should be just cooked through and tender — resist the urge to stir, just give the pot a gentle shake occasionally.6
Scatter the remaining fresh coriander over the top and taste for seasoning. Serve straight from the pot at the table alongside white rice and pirão (a thick porridge made from fish stock and manioc flour).7
Serve straight from the pot at the table alongside white rice and pirão (fish broth polenta), spooning plenty of the fragrant broth over everything.User Reviews
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