Moqueca Baiana (Brazilian Fish and Shrimp Stew)

Dendê is unrefined red palm oil, an African ingredient central to Bahian cooking. It gives moqueca its glowing orange colour and a distinctive nutty, faintly smoky, slightly earthy flavour that truly defines the dish. There's no exact substitute: for colour alone you can warm a neutral oil with sweet paprika or a little annatto, but the flavour will be missing. It's worth sourcing from a Latin, African, or online grocer. Use it sparingly and add it near the end, as it can turn bitter if boiled hard.

Use a firm white fish that holds its shape in a stew — cod, halibut, sea bass, snapper, grouper, or monkfish all work well. Cut it into large chunks so it doesn't fall apart during the gentle simmer. Softer, flakier fish tends to disintegrate. Many cooks add shrimp alongside the fish, and you can also use squid, mussels, or crab for a mixed-seafood version. Whatever you choose, don't overcook it — the fish only needs a short simmer.

Layering is traditional and practical: the vegetables release moisture and steam the fish gently from below and above, while the delicate fish and shrimp stay whole instead of breaking up. Stirring a moqueca tends to shred the fish and cloud the stew. Instead of stirring, cooks swirl or tilt the pot to redistribute the sauce. The result is a clean, brothy stew with intact pieces and distinct layers of flavour.

Coconut milk splits when it boils too hard or too long. After you pour it in, bring the stew only to a gentle simmer, then keep the heat low and covered for the short cooking time. Full-fat coconut milk is more stable and gives a richer result than light versions. Adding the dendê at the end rather than boiling it into the sauce also helps. If it does begin to split, take it off the heat and swirl gently — it usually settles.

The classic accompaniment is plain white rice, which soaks up the fragrant coconut broth. In Bahia it's also served with pirão (a soft porridge made from the stew's broth thickened with cassava flour) and farofa (toasted cassava flour) for texture. A few slices of lime and extra fresh coriander on the side are typical. It's a generous, brothy dish, so give everyone a bowl and plenty of rice.