You can make this as varied as you like. Many restaurants in Brazil make their stews with cuttlefish, local species of crab, crayfish, langoustes and other assorted fish and shellfish. You can’t go wrong.
Active Time: 50 mins | Total Time: 1hr 35mins | Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 450g skinless monk fillet, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced (2 1/2 tablespoons)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups bottled clam juice
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 450g medium prawns, shelled and deveined
- 450g mussels, whole, half shell
- 2 tablespoons natural cashew butter
- Salt
Short Instructions
Step 1
In a medium bowl, toss the fish with 1 tablespoon of the lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Drain and pat dry.
Step 2
In a large pot, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the fish in a single layer and brown on one side only over moderately high heat, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Add the onion, chiles, garlic and the 1/4 cup chopped cilantro to the pot and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, coating the vegetables. Add the clam juice and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to moderate and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes.
Step 4
Whisk the cashew butter with 2 tablespoons of hot water, then stir it into the stew. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice and season with salt. Transfer the stew to bowls, garnish with cilantro and serve.
