This blog is mostly for me and my friends. I record dishes I think are share-worthy. Big nod to Chef John for his inspiration.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Brazilian Fish and Shrimp Stew

This is one of my favorite seafood dishes. It is absolutely delicious and fairly easy to prepare. The pepper "sauce" is more like a thin relish. It can be made in advance and goes great on eggs. Double the recipe and use the rest later. I was unable to locate a 14.5 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes so I used a can of diced tomatoes with their juices. I was also unable to locate whole hot cherry peppers in nearby grocery stores. I wound up ordering some from Walmart for pickup. I originally found this recipe on Cooks Country.


Ingredients
-For the Pepper Sauce
4 pickled hot cherry pepper (3 ounces)
½ onion, chopped coarse
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

-For the Stew
1 pound large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, veins and tails removed
1 pound skinless cod fillets (about 1 inch thick), cut into ¾-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes or diced tomatoes
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
Ingredients

Directions
FOR THE PEPPER SAUCE: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Season with salt to taste and transfer to separate bowl. Rinse out processor bowl.

FOR THE STEW: Toss shrimp and cod with garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl, and set aside.
Process onion, tomatoes and their juice with ¼ cup cilantro in food processor until finely chopped. Will look like a thin salsa.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add red and green bell peppers and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add onion-tomato mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until puree has reduced and thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes (pot should not be dry).

Increase heat to high, stir in coconut milk, and bring to boil (mixture should be bubbling across entire surface). Add seafood mixture and lime juice and stir to evenly distribute seafood, making sure all pieces are submerged in liquid. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp and cod are opaque and just cooked through, 15 minutes.

Gently stir in 2 tablespoons pepper sauce and remaining ½ cup cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Poorly photographed final product


Firehouse Chili Cornbread Casserole

I thought the ratio of cornbread to chili too high. Thicker than I'd like. If I make it again I'll use a deeper and smaller (less surface area) dish with 1/2 the amount of cornbread batter.

FoodWishes Youtube video
All Recipes for amount as written steps

Difficulty: Easy Peasy. Make the chili, make the batter, top with the batter in a casserole dish and bake. Had most ingredients on hand, so shopping was negligible.

Cleanup: The timing for this gave plenty of time to "clean as you go". By the time the casserole is done in the oven you'll have a clean kitchen.

Ingredients

Finished in casserole dish

Plated in unwiped bowl.