← Nouns Cooking · Brazilian & Peruvian

Ingredients

• 800 g firm white fish (cod, halibut or monkfish), cut into 5 cm chunks
• 2 Lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Onion, sliced into thin rings
• 2 red and yellow bell peppers, sliced into rings
• 3 Tomato, sliced into rounds
• 1 Red chilli, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 2 tbsp Dendê (red palm) oil
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 3 Spring onion, sliced
• 300 g raw peeled prawns (optional)

Method

1. Toss the fish with the lime juice, half the garlic, the salt and pepper. Cover and leave in the fridge for 20–30 min.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan or clay pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 min, until soft, then add the peppers and cook for 5 min more. Stir in the rest of the garlic, the chilli and paprika.
3. Spread the onions and peppers in an even layer and lay the tomato slices over them. Arrange the fish on top with its marinade and scatter over half the coriander and spring onions.
4. Pour the coconut milk over and drizzle with the dendê oil. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 8–10 min without stirring (spoon the sauce over the fish instead), until the fish flakes easily. If using prawns, tuck them in for the last 3–4 min, until pink.
5. Taste the sauce and add salt or lime as needed, then scatter with the remaining herbs. Serve with white rice and lime wedges.

Tips

• Dendê (red palm oil) gives the colour and nutty flavour; find it in Brazilian or West African shops, or use extra paprika and a little more olive oil.
• Don’t stir once the fish is in, or it breaks into flakes; a gentle shake of the pan is enough.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

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