Bringing home a bit of Brazil

Passport & Plate - Muqueca—prawn stew

Australia | Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 5 photos

Ingredients
500 grams prawn meat, uncooked, shelled and deveined
1 large bunch fresh coriander, separate roots and leaves (see preparation)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large green capsicum (bell pepper), optional, deseeded and chopped
3 medium tomatoes, about 375 grams), chopped
400-gram tin coconut milk (or cream)
juice of 1 juicy lemon
2–5 tablespoons chili–garlic sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee Chili Garlic Sauce)
2–3 tablespoons palm oil (dende)
2 tablespoons cooking oil (not olive oil)

Method
Chop the onions, garlic, capsicum (if used) and tomatoes. Keep separate. Do not combine yet.
Cut the roots from the coriander, bruise slightly with the flat side of a knife. If you like, tie roots in a bunch with string. This will make them easier to remove from the stew. Chop coriander leaves and set aside for later.
Heat oil over medium high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of palm oil, the onion, the capsicum (if used) and the tied bunch of coriander roots. Fry until onions are golden.
Add the garlic and fry for one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, chili–garlic paste and cook until mushy.
Add the coconut milk (or cream). Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Simmer until liquid is reduced by about half.
Add the juice of the lemon, 1–2 more tablespoons of palm oil and the prawns. Cook quickly until the prawn meat has turned white, being careful not to overcook.
Remove coriander roots. Stir in two-thirds of the chopped coriander leaves.
Transfer stew to serving dish. Sprinkle with remaining coriander leaves and enjoy with steamed rice.

The story
Muqueca is a popular stew from Brazil’s Bahia state. Often made with fish, this prawn version comes to me by way of my dear friend, Ken.
Ken’s a senior diplomat, linguist, author and lover of fine food, who has eaten his way across the globe and collected recipes as he goes. He’s taught me moussaka from Greece and carbonnades flamandes from Belgium. But muqueca is his standout.
He first enjoyed muqueca in Brasilia at the home of fellow diplomats. It was their cook’s secret recipe and Ken managed to wheedle the recipe from her. I bet it helped that he spoke fluent Portuguese and was an appreciative dinner guest.
Ken’s an accomplished cook and likes to show off his newly found dishes, but he lived in South America for almost six years. So it took a while for him to come home to Australia and share this wonderful find.
I still remember the first time Ken made it for us. He called me with a list of ingredients to buy. He knew I’ve have Lee Kum Kee sauce on hand but when he arrived in the late afternoon, he brought a gift bottle of palm oil. He already figured muqueca would become a family favourite.
When my husband and I were in Brazil in 2012 and 2013, we sampled countless muquecas in an effort to find one that came close to Ken’s, but we were disappointed again and again. I complained to Ken. Order one in Salvador, he suggested. And he was right. The only place offering a dish that came halfway close to matching Ken’s was in a small eatery there. It included the optional capsicum noted in the recipe.
But we did have a sensational version of muqueca in Brazil. We stayed with friends in Curitiba. They’d never had it, so off to the markets we went so I could make this recipe for them. What a success!