Moqueca: Brazilian coconut fish stew

A sunny fish stew from Bahia in north-east Brazil: chunks of white fish gently poached in coconut milk with peppers, tomatoes and lime. Fragrant rather than fiery, and ready in about half an hour.

Ingredients

• 600 g Cod fillets, cut into large chunks
• 2 Limes, 1 juiced, 1 in wedges
• 0.2 Garlic, crushed
• 3 g Salt
• 30 ml Olive oil
• 1 Onions, sliced
• 2 Peppers, red and yellow, sliced
• 3 Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Fresh chillies, halved lengthways
• 5 g Paprika
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 20 g Fresh coriander, chopped
• 300 g Basmati rice

Method

1. Toss the fish with the lime juice, half the garlic and a good pinch of salt and leave while you start the sauce.
2. Heat the oil in a wide, shallow pan and cook the onion and peppers until soft and sweet.
3. Add the rest of the garlic, the tomatoes, the halved chilli and the paprika and cook until the tomatoes start to collapse.
4. Pour in the coconut milk, half the coriander and a pinch of salt and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, boil the rice in salted water, drain and keep warm.
6. Nestle the fish and its juices into the sauce, cover and simmer very gently, without stirring, until it just flakes.
7. Fish out the chilli halves, scatter over the rest of the coriander and serve with rice and lime wedges.