Moqueca de Camarao
Ingredients
Shrimp Seasoning
- 700 grams - 1 kg tiger shrimp raw deveined and peeled (keep shrimp shells see note)
- juice from 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Stew
- 1 - 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 white or Spanish onion peeled and diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley stems finely chopped
- 4 bird’s eye chili peppers Thai red chilies
- 6 medium tomatoes pulp removed, peeled (optional) and diced
- 1 large russet potato peeled and largely cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika tablespoon
- 2 cups stock or water or as needed
- 1 or 1 1/2 cans coconut milk
- salt to taste
- 1 bunch fresh chopped cilantro or parsley to finish
- 2-4 tablespoons Dende oil / palm oil optional but used traditionally
To Serve
- 3 cups boiled white rice
Instructions
- In a bowl, add your shrimp and season with salt, cumin and black pepper, mix well and set aside.
- In a heavy bottom pot, add your vegetable oil and diced onion and saute on medium until translucent. About 6 minutes mixing constantly. Add your garlic and sautee for a minute.
- Add your diced bell peppers, diced hot peppers, diced cilantro or parsley stems and sautee for an additional 5 minutes stirring often.
- Add your diced tomatoes, and sauté for 5-10 minutes stirring periodically. Cover your post with a lid to cook down all the veggies in your stew and soften the veggies more.
- At this stage, squeeze lime juice over your shrimp and mix well and set aside.
- Season with paprika and mix well. Taste and adjust for salt, you want everything to be well seasoned every step of the way.
- Add your diced potatoes and mix well to coat and follow immediately with your stock or water. You can use vegetable stock, chicken stock OR make a quick stock with your shrimp shells (see note).
- Cook on low, simmered, until the potatoes become tender, this should take about 10-15 minutes. Just sample a potato if you want to check doneness.
- Bring your stew to medium heat. Add your coconut milk. I like mine on the creamier side so I added an additional 1/2 a can of coconut milk but just add one to start and add extra if you think you need it.
- When your stew begins to boil, add your shrimp and mix it thoroughly. Add your palm oil if using. I really do not like over cooked shrimp so as soon as all the shrimp in the stew turn a nice pink colour, remove your stew from the heat. The residual heat will ensure your shrimp is fully cooked.
- Mix in freshly chopped cilantro or parsley and serve your stew hot with boiled rice.
Notes
If you want to make your own shrimp stick, boil your shrimp shells for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer if you have time), adding water was needed to make sure you have enough stock. Strain this liquid and reserve it for your stew.
Cilantro/Coriander is traditionally used, as opposed to parsley. I used both because I had both on hand.