Lobster & Sea Bass Moqueca Stew

Bass is one of the most popular fish in cooking recipes, and although there are a lot of fish being referred as bass, only black sea bass and striped bass are considered the true bass.

Bass may be also included in curries and savory fish recipes. Its taste and texture makes it excellent for soups, especially seafood soups served in bread bowls. Lobster & Sea Bass Moqueca Stew, from the name of the soup itself, includes seafood delights like lobster and fish fillets of sea bass.

Lobster & Sea Bass Moqueca Stew

 Ingredients:

• 2 bunches fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 bunches fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 large Sea Bass, cleaned
• 2 large lobsters, halved
• 10 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 6 onions, chopped
• 4 green peppers, de-seeded and chopped
• 2 bunch spring onions spring onions, finely sliced
• 6 limes, halved
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 1 pint coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons light olive oil
• ½ ladle dende oil
• 3 tablespoons salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Roughly chop nearly all the coriander and spring onion, leaving enough for garnish. Place the coriander, parsley, garlic, tomatoes, onions, peppers, spring onions and salt into a large heavy bowl. With a pestle, mash together all ingredients, gradually squeezing in juice of limes.
2. Take both fish and slash diagonally 3 times on each side. Stuff some of the mixed vegetables and herbs into the slashes and the centre of the fish and close. Take the halves of lobster and cover with vegetables and herb mix, leaving around half for later.
3. Heat a large saute pan with the olive oil. Arrange sea bass and lobster (placing flesh side down) in the sauté pan. After 2 minutes, pour over the coconut milk and bring to a gentle bubble. After a further 2 minutes, turn over the fish and lobster. Add the remainder of the vegetable and herb mix.
4. Cook for a further 10 minutes, when the fish and lobster are tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
5. Transfer to a large serving dish and sprinkle with remaining coriander and spring onions.

Add dende oil (is available) in a slow circular motion over the top.

*Cook’s Note: Dende Oil is an African palm-oil, widely used in the Brazilian state of Bahia and is difficult to obtain elsewhere. The dish is just as delicious without it.

Recipe courtesy Aldaci Dada Dos Santos, 2003, Image: Moqueca de peixe e camarao by Luca Nebuloni from pilotguides.com