Vatapa de Camarao

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 6 scallion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 3 large garlic, chopped
• 4 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 2 hot chile peppers, seeded and chopped
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 5 tablespoons cilantro
• 1 lb. shrimp, medium size
• 3 lbs. fish, firm fleshed, cut into 2" pieces
• chicken stock, if needed
• 1 3/4 cups almonds, finely ground
• 2 cups dried shrimp, finely ground
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup thick coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 4 tablespoons palm oil, also called dente oil or use olive oil

Method

• Heat the oil and saute the onions, scallions, ginger, garlic until translucent. Add the tomatoes and hot peppers and cook another 5 minutes. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the lime juice and coriander.
• Add the fish (not the shrimp) and cook for about 10 minutes. If it appears a little dry, add a bit of chicken (or fish) stock, if desired. With a slotted spoon transfer the fish to another dish and hold. Add the shrimp and cook about 3 minutes or until pink. Remove the shrimp and reserve. Take the vegetables and press them through a sieve, pressing hard to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids and reserve the liquid.
• In a large saucepan, combine the almonds, ground shrimp, the thin coconut milk and reserved liquid from the cooking the chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk and the rice flour, mixed with a little water, and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick. Add back in the fish and shrimp and cook long enough just to heat through. Serve with molded rice.

Notes

• Description:
• "This is a Brazilian dish that is unique in all the different flavors
• that combine so beautifully."
• SERVINGS: 8
• SOURCE: Adapted from a recipe by Elizabeth Ortiz