RECIPE - Skate or Ray Moqueca (Moqueca de Arraia)

One of the dishes that almost everybody who visits Jericoacoara wants to sample is a traditional fish dish called moqueca de arraia. Moquecas are traditional Brazilian fish dishes, whose history goes back to the time before the arrival of Europeans when natives made moquecas out of the bounty of Brazil's seas, rivers, lakes and lagoons. There are as many different recipes for moqueca as there are fish in the sea, but all of them consist of some sort of fish or seafood cooked and served in seasoned coconut milk. There are regional variations and variations in the fish or seafood used, but whatever the variation they're all moquecas and they're all very Brazilian.

Jericoacoara's signature moqueca is made from locally caught skate or ray, which are plentiful in local waters and which exist in both fresh-water and salt-water varieties. To make a moqueca the cartiligenous "wings" of the ray are pre-cooked by boiling and the meat is separated from the cartilege and shredded before being added to the recipe. Unlike the more famous African-influenced moquecas of Bahia, there is no palm oil (dendê oil) used and the shredded fish is served with only a little liquid. Traditional accompaniments to moqueca de arraia in Jericoacoara are white rice and pirão.
____________________________________________________
RECIPE - Skate or Ray Moqueca (Moqueca de Arraia)
Serves 4

1 lb (500 gr) cooked and shredded skate or ray
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup (200 ml) coconut milk
1 Tbsp annatto powder (sweet paprika can be substituted)
chopped green onion, green parts only, to taste
chopped cilantro, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a large, non-stick frying pan heat the olive oil, then add the onion and garlic and fry for a few minutes, or until the onion is transparent but not browned. Then add the chopped bell pepper and tomato, plus the annatto or paprkia and continue to saute, until the tomato begins to break up. Add the shredded fish and the coconut milk, stirr well to blend completely and continue to cook until the fish is heated through - do not let the mixture boil. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Place in a deep serving bowl and sprinkle with the chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Recipe translated and adapted from Brasil Sabor.

INGREDIENTS - Gizzards (Moela)

When I was a kid, our family was pretty vanilla when it came to the foods that were put on the table - nothing to strange or exotic really. The family's idea of something foreign and sophisticated was lasagne. We ate a lot of meat and potatos (and casseroles!) Certainly no sweetbreads, tripe, or even much in the way of liver. However, from time to time, my mother would serve a dinner in which the main course was sautéed chicken gizzards. Where did that come from? I really don't know but as a kid I loved them. With a chewy, muscular texture, and meaty taste, I thought they were wonderful.

Later, I lost my taste for gizzards, based probably on cultural prejudices against organ meats, I stopped eating them. Offal and awful were synonymous to me. For a long time I didn't give gizzards a second thought. Moving to Brazil, though, has brought gizzards (called moela here) back to mind. They are a favorite food of many Brazilians, and along with chicken hearts, a favorite bar food. While chicken hearts are normally served grilled on a skewer, gizzards in Brazil most often come braised in a sauce and are served with chunks of French bread to sop up the sauce. Sometimes the sauce is spicy, sometimes it is tomatoey and herbal, and sometimes it's just a quick gravy made with the pan juices. But it's almost always delicious.

Served with rounds of icy-cold Brazilian lager beer, and shared, along with the conversation, among friends around the table in a boteco or bar, gizzards make a marvelous light meal. If you've never been a gizzard-eater, or like me had forgotten about them, return them to their rightful place on the plate. You might be very pleasantly surprised.

In the next post on Flavors of Brazil, I'll provide a typical Brazilian recipe for gizzards sparked with a sophisticated, contemporary twist.