Ingredients

The following ingredients have 5 Servings
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin
  • 1 1/2 cups manioc or cassava meal, available online and in some specialty food shops
  • 1 3/4 pounds black sea bass, filleted, trimmings reserved
  • 12 ounces large shrimp, peeled, shells reserved
  • Salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small white turnip, peeled and diced
  • 3 medium onions
  • 4 large plum tomatoes
  • 6 ounces shishito peppers, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped chives
  • 1 green plantain
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, cut in rings
  • 2 green Cubanelle peppers, green frying peppers or 1 small green bell pepper, cut in rings
  • 10 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
  • 4 tablespoons dendê oil, or red palm oil, available online
  • 6 ounces cooked octopus tentacles, cut in thick slices, or raw squid in thin rings
  • 1 long red chile pepper, for garnish
  • 1/2 cup long grain rice, steamed
  • Piri-piri or other hot sauce, for serving

Instruction

  • Make the farofa if desired: Melt butter in a skillet or shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in manioc and cook, stirring, 5 to 8 minutes, until it starts to toast. Cover and keep warm.
  • Make the fish broth: Cut each bass fillet in 4 or 5 pieces, cover and refrigerate. Place trimmings in a 3-quart stovetop casserole, preferably an earthenware pot. Lightly salt shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Place shells in the pot. Add 5 cups water; the bay leaves; the turnip; 2 onions, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; half the shishito peppers; the garlic; and half the cilantro and chives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a slit in the skin of the plantain, wrap in foil and bake 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Cool.
  • Strain broth into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids and return broth to pot. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
  • Slice remaining tomatoes and remaining onion 1/4 inch thick and add to pot. Add bell peppers, Cubanelle peppers, remaining shishito peppers, remaining chives and all but 1 tablespoon remaining cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
  • Peel plantain and slice it 1/2 inch thick. Add to pot. Add coconut milk and dende oil. Add fish and octopus, if using, and simmer 5 minutes. Rinse and dry shrimp and squid, if using, and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes. Check seasonings. Strew remaining cilantro on top, garnish with a red chile and serve over rice directly from the pot, with farofa and piri-piri on the side.