Salmon Fish Stew, Brazilian Style

I was too tired to go shopping and then cook. As I checked my e-mail, I came across an update from Simply Recipes. Elise posted a recipe with buzz words that immediately caught my eye -- Brazil, salmon, cilantro... CILANTRO! My favorite herb! That was enough to make me forget my tiredness, get up, get dressed, go grocery shopping, and return home to cook.

This stew is a salmon version of a Brazilian (Bahia) fish stew called Moqueca, which is normally made from the local fish of the region. I love that you marinate the salmon with limejuice, paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and black pepper; then simmer it with onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, coconut milk, and freshly chopped cilantro. CILANTRO! ;-)))

The fun part of making this salmon stew was layering the cooking pot with onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, the salmon, and then doing it all over again. I created my cooking masterpiece, which I topped with cilantro. CILANTRO! I did my happy dance after that.

Yes, I was tired, but after tasting the finished product, my body became rejuvenated and happy. The effort I'd made to prepare this salmon fish stew was definitely worth it. Thanks, Elise for sharing the recipe!

Paz

Cooking in the pot: Salmon in between layers of onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers

Salmon Fish Stew, Brazilian Style
Simply Recipes

Marinade ingredients:

The cloves from 1/2 head of garlic, peeled, crushed, minced
2 Tablespoons of fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon of coarse salt
1 Tablespoon of sweet paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons of dry cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of salmon, cut into 2-inch pieces (largish-bite sized pieces)
Olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can thick coconut milk
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, 1-2 cups

Freshly cooked rice for serving

1 Mix together the marinade ingredients. Let the salmon marinate in this paste for at least 2 hours. The longer, the better.

2 In a large pan (large covered skillet or Dutch oven), coat the bottom of the pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add a layer of sliced onions, and then a layer of sliced bell peppers, and a layer of sliced tomatoes. Place the fish pieces, with the marinade, on top of everything, and start layering again - onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add about half of your fresh cilantro to the top. Pour coconut milk over the top. Drizzle generously with olive oil over the top (several tablespoons).

3 Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until the vegetables are cooked through.

Serve with rice; garnish with remaining cilantro.

Serves 6-8.