Bowl of Amazonian Fish Stew
(click to enlarge)

Fish Stew Amazonas


Brazil, Amazonas   -   Caldeirada de Peixe
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 11 cups
***
2 hrs
Yes		 This Fish Stew from Amazonas is lighter than those of Bahia, based on Dendê Oil and Coconut Milk, but substantial and has cleaner fish flavor.

2
3
-------
1/4
3
2
2
2/3
1/3
--------
1
14
3
1
3
4
9
bunch
--------
3
2
2
1
1/3
#
lrg
---
c
T
cl
T
t
t
---
#
oz
oz
cl
oz
oz
oz

---
c
T
c
t
t
Fish fillet (1)
Eggs, hard
-- Marinade
Parsley
Cilantro
Garlic
Lime Juice
Salt
Pepper
-- Vegies
Potatoes (2)
Tomatoes
Onion
Garlic
Carrots
Bell Pepper red  
Cabbage
Jambu Leaves (3)  
--------
Water
Olive Oil, ExtV
Cooking Liquid
Salt
Pepper, black

This recipe can be made hours ahead up to adding the fish, or a finished soup can be reheated easily if the chosen fish holds up fairly well to wet cooking.

Do Ahead   -   (30 min - 10 min work)
  1. Hard boil EGGS, shell, chill thoroughly. For best method see our recipe Boiling Eggs.
Prep   -   (1-1/4 hour)
  1. Cut FISH into about 1-1/2 inch chunks.
  2. Chop Marinade HERBS fine. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Squeeze LIME JUICE. Mix all Marinade items in a wide mixing bowl. Mix in Fish and massage well. Let sit in a cool place until needed, or bag and refrigerate if doing ahead.
  3. Peel POTATOES and cut into about 1 inch chunks. Hold in cold water until needed.
  4. Peel CARROTS and slice on diagonal about 1/4 inch thick.
  5. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Cut into about 3/4 inch chunks.
  6. Slice ONION into quarters lengthwise and slice crosswise fairly thin.
  7. Crush GARLIC and chop fine.
  8. Cap and core BELL PEPPER and cut into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 1-1/2 inches long.
  9. Core CABBAGE and slice into very thin strips about 1-1/2 inch long.
  10. Remove stems from JAMBU LEAVES (or Water Cress) and chop fairly coarse.
Run   -   (50 min)
  1. Place Potatoes in a pan with 3 cups Water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until just cooked through. Scoop out, leaving Water in the pan. Stir in Carrots and cook until tender. Scoop out reserving water.
  2. Cut Eggs into chunks suitable for Garnish.
  3. Heat Olive Oil in a 4 quart sauce pan or similar. Fry Onion until translucent, about 5 minutes, then stir in Garlic and Bell Pepper for a minute or so.
  4. Stir in Tomatoes and cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are wilted.
  5. Stir in CABBAGE, 2 cups of reserved Cooking Liquid, Salt, and Pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for about 10 minutes.
  6. Stir in Potatoes and Carrots bring to a boil. Stir in Fish along with any Marinade and bring back to simmer. Add boiling Water if needed. Cook until fish is opaque all through, about 7 to 9 minutes.
  7. Stir in Jambu (or Watercress) just until wilted. Take off the heat.
  8. Serve hot garnished with chunks of Egg and with Hot Pepper Sauce on the side. If serving with rice (long grain) - see Serving
NOTES:

  1. Fish Fillet:

      This should be river fish, as Amazonas has no access to the sea, high mountains to the West and jungle to the East. Catfish is present in the Amazon, including giant catfish, so that would be a good choice. The photo example was made with Tilapia, a fish from the Nile that's farmed just about everywhere these days.

  2. Potatoes:

      White Rose type potatoes work well in stews. Red potatoes (of North America) cook a little faster and become more tender. Avoid Yukon Gold type potatoes because they turn to mush cooked a little longer than the minimum. For details see our Potatoes page.

  3. Jambu Leaves:

      The pattern recipe calls for a "small bunch of Jambu Leaves", but allows Watercress as a substitute. Both are considered "optional". Watercress has a similar flavor but lacks the mouth numbing impact of Jambu. Toss in a few Sichuan Peppercorns? For details see our Daisy page.

  4. Serving:

      When serving soups with rice, rather than spooning soup over rice as Asians do, I prefer to provide a bowl of rice on the table from which it can be spooned into the soup bowls as desired. Others have agreed that this works well.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

amf_fshstw2 240519 bct148   -   www.clovegarden.com
©Andrew Grygus - agryg@aaxnet.com - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page is permitted.