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Mojica de pintado
Catfish and cassava stew
Mojica de pintado: Cuiabá catfish stewed with cassava and tomato into a thick broth
Thick, golden and soothing, mojica is the stew Cuiabá cooks with pintado, the big spotted catfish of the Pantanal rivers. Cassava simmers in a tomato and onion broth until it starts to break and thicken it, then cubes of firm fish poach gently on top, and the whole pot is finished with cheiro-verde and a squeeze of lime. It is eaten at family lunches and riverside restaurants in Mato Grosso, with white rice and a hot pepper sauce, and is known as a cure for a tired body. Outside Brazil, use catfish, monkfish or thick cod loin. People often stir the fish into the pot like a curry, which breaks it into shreds; lay it on top and let it steam. Cassava must always be cooked right through. Chef's tip: mash a few pieces of the cooked cassava against the side of the pot before adding the fish; it thickens the broth without any flour.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb pintado or other catfishboneless, cut into 4 cm cubes; or monkfish or cod loin
- 2 limesjuiced
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 1 green pepperchopped
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 1 tsp ground annatto (colorau)or sweet paprika
- 1 ¾ lb cassavafresh or frozen, peeled, woody core removed, cut into 3 cm chunks
- 1.2 litres water
- 5 tbsp parsley and spring onionchopped
To serve
- 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Toss 2 ¼ lb pintado or other catfish with 1 limes, 2 ½ cloves garlic and 1 tsp salt and leave in the fridge for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium heat and fry 2 onions, 1 green pepper and the rest of 2 ½ cloves garlic for 5 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 3: Add 3 tomatoes and 1 tsp ground annatto (colorau) and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes collapse.
5 minStep 5: Mash a few pieces of cassava against the side of the pot to thicken the broth to the consistency of single cream.
Step 6: Lay the fish on top, cover and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, without stirring, until it is opaque throughout and flakes when pressed.
10 minStep 7: Add the rest of 1 limes, scatter over 5 tbsp parsley and spring onion and serve with rice and 1 tbsp hot pepper sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mojica de pintado take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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