Chef JJ Johnson’s Moqueca Recipe
This lovely Brazilian-inspired stew comes from JJ Johnson of The Cecil — catch him at Harlem EatUp! where he will be hosting a Dine-In alongside guest chefs Jonathon Waxman, Alex Guarnaschelli and Michael Jenkins. Try pairing this complex dish with a crisp, unoaked, and dry white Bordeaux from AOC Entre-Deux-Mers or for another great option, a fresh young Bordeaux Rosé.
IngredientsFor the Moqueca:
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2 pounds yuca, peeled and medium diced, divided
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2 cups water
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1 cup spinach
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2 plum tomatoes
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1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded
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¼ cup grapeseed oil
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6 garlic cloves, minced
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2 medium carrots, medium diced
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1 yellow onion, medium diced
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1 celery stalk, medium diced
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1 poblano pepper, medium diced
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½ cup green curry paste
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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1 pound (1½ cups) okra, trimmed and sliced into ¼-inch rings
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8 cups chicken stock
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½ cup fish sauce
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4 kaffir lime leaves (preferably fresh)
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8 ounces salt cod, soaked overnight
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8 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped
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Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the Prawns
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1 pound (12 medium) head-on prawns, peeled and deveined
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¼ cup chopped parsley
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1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 teaspoon lemon zest
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Kosher salt, to taste
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2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
For Assembly
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Steamed rice, for serving
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Thinly sliced Thai basil, for garnish
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Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Directions
Make the Moqueca:
In a blender, combine three-quarters of the yuca with the water, spinach, tomatoes and jalapeño. Purée until smooth and set aside.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and golden, 1 minute. Add the carrots, onion, celery and poblano pepper, and cook, stirring often, until soft and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the curry and tomato pastes, and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes.
To the pot, add the remaining quarter of the yuca, the reserved yuca purée, the okra, chicken stock, fish sauce and lime leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the yuca is tender and the liquid is thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small pot, cover the salt cod with cold water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Repeat this process 2 more times, then roughly chop the salt cod.
Add the salt cod and the smoked salmon to the stew, and cook until the fish is opaque, 3 to 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper, then keep warm until ready to serve.
Prepare the Prawns:
In a medium bowl, toss the prawns with the parsley, red pepper flakes and lemon zest. Season with salt. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the prawns and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Assemble the Dish:
Divide steamed rice between bowls and ladle the stew over it. Top with 2 prawns and garnish with sliced Thai basil and scallions, then serve.
Wine Pairing
With this complex dish and its strident hot peppery flavors, choose a crisp, unoaked, Sauvignon Blanc dominant dry white from the Entre-Deux-Mers. The tangy citrus and grassy flavors will add a delicious refreshing kick and fruitiness to this dish. Another great pairing option would be a fresh young Bordeaux Rosé – where the exotic citrus, red berry fruit notes will complement the diverse flavors of this fish stew.
NOTE: Entre-Deux-Mers wines may be labeled as Entre-Deux-Mers or simply Bordeaux Blanc.
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