Muqueca With Pirao Recipes

Steps:

• Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes in oil, in a clay pan if possible (http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/15240632.jpg). When onions are golden-about 15 minutes-add deveined and cleaned shrimp, and wait until it gets "red"-about 15 more minutes. About 5 minutes after you added the shrimp, add coconut milk and paprika. Before serving, mix in cilantro and chives.
• Pirao: 700ml water; 1 onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, mashed with salt; pepper & salt to taste; reserved shrimp shells; dash of colorau *; 1 cup manioc flour. In a pan with lid, boil all the ingredients for about 15 minutes. Drain. Put liquid back in pan; when it boils turn to a simmer. SLOWLY add manioc flour, stirring constantly (as for polenta). It is ready when it starts thickening. (It doesn't harden, but turns kinda gooey.).
• * We actually use "colorau" (made mainly from "urucum" seeds); instead of paprika, a better substitute in my view is annatto seeds (http://www.overmundo.com.br/overblog/nosso-colorau-o-urucum). Saute annatto seeds in the dende oil, being VERY careful not to bun them; remove seeds and use the oil.

Steps:

• Prepare the stock and coconut milk a day or two ahead.
• Coat a large nonreactive (such as glass or enamel) saute pan with a half cup of the olive oil and place over medium-high heat.
• Saute the garlic in the oil just until golden, about four or five minutes. Add the onions and cook just until wilted, stirring frequently, about five or six minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, parsley and seasonings. Heat thoroughly and add one cup of fish stock and four cups prepared coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool and reserve. (This can be prepared a day ahead.)
• Salt and pepper the shrimp and refrigerate.
• Cut the fish fillets, checking for stray bones, into one-and-a-half-inch cubes, salt and pepper the cubes and refrigerate.
• Over medium heat, bring eight cups of fish stock to a simmer.
• Add the fish heads and trimmings to the stock, simmer for 15 minutes, strain and reserve the heads and keep the stock warm.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a nonreactive saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute briefly, until they are pink. Remove and reserve the shrimp.
• Add the fish cubes and saute them until they are golden but not thoroughly cooked. Remove and reserve with the shrimp.
• Deglaze the pan with a half cup of the warm fish stock and add the reserved coconut-fish stock mixture and bring to a simmer and keep warm over very low heat.
• To make the pirao, pick away the cheeks and excess meat from the heads and trimmings. Combine one cup of the fish meat with about a quarter cup of fish stock and puree in a food processor or electric blender.
• In a medium-sized heat-proof bowl, add the manioc flour and whisk in the heated stock a little at a time until it is the consistency of farina.
• Whisk in the fish puree, one tablespoon of dende oil and one teaspoon of pimente oil, or to taste.
• Cover and keep warm over a pan of simmering water while you finish cooking the fish.
• Raise the heat and bring the coconut-fish mixture to a simmer. Add the shrimp, cubed fish and their juices and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining two tablespoons of dende and one teaspoon of pimente oil. Transfer to a heated soup tureen or wide shallow soup plates and accompany with the pirao, slaw and boiled rice. Usually the shrimp are served in their shells and the shells eaten. If they are to be peeled - then they should be peeled just before reheating in the coconut-fish stock mixture.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan.
• Saute onions for several minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and peppers and cook for several minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, shrimp and cilantro to the pan and simmer gently until the shrimp turns opaque.
• Pour in the coconut milk and Sriracha sauce, and cook just until heated through - do not boil.
• Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Steps:

• Make the farofa if desired: Melt butter in a skillet or shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in manioc and cook, stirring, 5 to 8 minutes, until it starts to toast. Cover and keep warm.
• Make the fish broth: Cut each bass fillet in 4 or 5 pieces, cover and refrigerate. Place trimmings in a 3-quart stovetop casserole, preferably an earthenware pot. Lightly salt shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Place shells in the pot. Add 5 cups water; the bay leaves; the turnip; 2 onions, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; half the shishito peppers; the garlic; and half the cilantro and chives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a slit in the skin of the plantain, wrap in foil and bake 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Cool.
• Strain broth into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids and return broth to pot. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
• Slice remaining tomatoes and remaining onion 1/4 inch thick and add to pot. Add bell peppers, Cubanelle peppers, remaining shishito peppers, remaining chives and all but 1 tablespoon remaining cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Peel plantain and slice it 1/2 inch thick. Add to pot. Add coconut milk and dende oil. Add fish and octopus, if using, and simmer 5 minutes. Rinse and dry shrimp and squid, if using, and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes. Check seasonings. Strew remaining cilantro on top, garnish with a red chile and serve over rice directly from the pot, with farofa and piri-piri on the side.

Steps:

• Bring liquid to a boil in a saucepan. Sprinkle in 1 cup of farinha, stirring constantly over medium heat until it has the consistency of cooked cereal. Add more farinha as needed to reach desired thickness.

Steps:

• Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut along the length of each prawn deep enough to expose and remove the vein. Place the fish chunks in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lime and toss to coat. Set the prawns and fish aside while preparing the sauce.
• In a large, shallow Dutch oven or large, deep skillet, melt 2 tablespoons dendê oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onion, stir and cook, stirring until translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Increase the heat to high, add the peppers, tomatoes and chile. Season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are softened and any liquid from the tomatoes is beginning to evaporate, 4 minutes.
• Pour in the coconut milk, stir and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens and reduces to a creamy sauce, about 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt, if necessary, and stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro.
• Carefully place the prawns in the sauce in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the prawns to cook the other sides and add the cod. (Discard any juices in the bowl.) The fish will be partly submerged. Cook until the fish is tender and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat, drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon dendê oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Slice the remaining lime into wedges. Serve immediately, with steamed rice and lime wedges for squeezing.