Chef John's Brazilian Fish Stew

Sweet and hot peppers with coconut milk make the sauce for poaching chunks of fish in Chef John's "weeknight version" of a classic Brazilian seafood stew.

• Preparation Time: 12 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 32 mins
• Calories: 399 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 0.25 cup chopped green onion
• 0.25 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1.5 pounds sea bass fillets, cut into chunks

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir just until onions start to get soft, 3 or 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking about 3 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and add soy sauce. When mixture starts to bubble, let it simmer about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and green onions. Let mixture come back to a simmer. Transfer fish to skillet; stir. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until fish starts to flake, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt, cilantro, and lime juice; stir carefully to avoid breaking up the fish. Serve with rice.