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Brazilian Seafood Moqueca

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3 cups fish stock
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can coconut milk
6 green onions, white and light green parts only, finely sliced
3/4 pound clams*, thoroughly scrubbed
3/4 pound mussels*, thoroughly scrubbed and debearded**
3/4 pound shrimp*, shelled and deveined
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons dendé oil***
1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked white rice, for serving
Fried Plantains (see recipe), for serving
1/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut, for serving
2 limes, supremed and diced, for serving

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over low heat. Add onion and all the bell peppers and sauté about 5 minutes, or until nicely softened. Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper, and chiles and cook about 2 minutes more. Pour in fish stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peppers are tender.

Add green onions, clams, and mussels. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, lifting cover once to gently stir. Add shrimp and cook 3 minutes longer, until shells of the clams and mussels are open and shrimp turns pink. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, dendé oil, and cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary. Ladle into large bowls over white rice and garnish with Fried Plantains, toasted coconut, and diced limes.

* According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program, when it comes to sustainable seafood, clams are a “Best” or “Good” choice, farmed mussels are a “Best” choice, and domestic shrimp is a “Best” or “Good” choice. Be sure to “Avoid” imported shrimp. For more info, go to www.seafoodwatch.org.

** To scrub and debeard mussels: Rinse the mussels under cold running water, scrubbing each shell with a firm-bristled brush. Pinch the hair-like beard and slide it up and down until it releases. Discard any mussels with shells that are not tightly closed.

*** Dendé oil is a bright orange palm oil that is a staple in Brazilian cuisine.