Moqueca Capixaba: world's best fish dish?

I’m going to do something a little different today – a guest post. My guest is Shaun from the blog Sometime Brazilian. Shaun has lived in Brazil twice and (like me!) is married to a brasileira. Shaun is also a great inspiration as he shows that it’s possible to write an interesting, informative blog about Brazil whilst not actually being in the country.

After my claim yesterday that St Pancras is the world’s most wonderful train station, today Shaun is going to put forward the case for Moqueca Capixaba being the world’s best fish dish (now that’s some claim!). I’ve only tried the other version of Moqueca (the one of Bahia) and I’m a huge fan, so this had better be good! There’ll be more from me soon, but for now, enjoy Shaun’s wise words and sumptuous photos

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Without a doubt, one of the things that makes Brazil special is its food. Boiled rice and beans are served with almost every dish. But Brazil’s boiled rice is anything but plain; it is prepared in such a way (fried first with rock salt and garlic) that it is bursting with flavour.

And for fish lovers like me, Moqueca Capixaba (pronounced mokeka capishaba), is one of the tastiest dishes you can find anywhere in the world. Brazilians have been making moquecas for hundreds of years, but capixaba, meaning people from the coastal state of Espirito Santo, where the dish originates, is made with varieties of fish.

Vivid red, green, and orange colours of Moqueca Capixaba

Moqueca is basically a stew, but there are two clear distinctions. First is the traditional clay moqueca pots used to slow cook the dish, but second is the bright red and green colours it is associated with. These come from plant colouring called coloral from the urucum fruit unique to Brazil. It is a sublime dish, and I think the photos below (cooked by my father in-law, incidentally) are proof enough.

Traditional clay moqueca pot.

The usual fish of choice is Dorado.

Slowly cooked for maximum flavour…

…topped with a squeeze of limão (lime).

The finished dish. Everything in Brazil is served with tasty rice!

By Shaun Cumming

Brae says:

08/04/2012 at 4:12 PM

Yes!!! Great guest post. I have 3 times been to Brazil and each time to Espirito Santo (Marataizes, Guacui, Vitoria) and I love this dish. My host Mom took so much pride in making it and teaching me to make it. I even came home w a panela de barro :) Happy Easter. Feliz Pascoa!

tomlemes says:
08/04/2012 at 4:15 PM
Ah, I have to try it! I have had the version from Bahia which includes loads of coconut milk and dendê oil – at first I wasn’t that impressed, but now I love it! I even made it myself a few months back. When I get back (3 weeks today!!!!) I will track down the version from ES and will do a taste comparison.
Happy Easter! :)

The Gritty Poet says:

09/04/2012 at 2:17 PM

I find the Espirito Santo one – Moqueca Capixaba – to be conservative on the spicy flavor when compared to its Baiano muqueca counterpart. I would imagine that a Habanero man would lean towards the Bahia version of the dish ( underlying message: get him, get him, he is a pimenta traitor).
I obvioulsy will gladly munch down both ( and that’s how diplomacy is done) : -).

tomlemes says:
10/04/2012 at 6:20 PM
The consummate diplomat as ever!

09/04/2012 at 11:12 PM

Today over at Flavors of Brazil they have a recipe for Skate Moqueca: http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.ca/…The Gritty Poet is probably right about the baiano moqueca is spicier than the capixabas version – they do not care much forp spicy foods, which I always find surprising. Cheers!

tomlemes says:
10/04/2012 at 6:36 PM
Ah cool! What a funny coincidence! Flavors of Brazil is such a great blog don’t you think? I don’t know how James manages to come up with so much good content every day (slight bloggy jealousy there! ;) ).

Moqueca Capixaba: world’s best fish dish?

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