Muamba de peixe

Ingredients

Fish

• 1.2 kgfirm white fish, such as grouper, snapper or cacusso, cut into thick steaks on the bone
• juice of 2 limes
• 5garlic cloves, crushed
• 1.5 tspfine salt
• 1 tspblack pepper

Stew

• 120 mlred palm oil
• 3onions, sliced
• 5garlic cloves, chopped
• 4tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 300 gokra, thickly sliced
• 2jindungo chillies, minced
• 1red pepper, sliced
• 400 mlwater
• 1large bunch coriander, chopped
• 1 tspfine salt

To serve

• 600 gfunge de bombo
• gindungo sauce
• 1lime, in wedges

Directions

1. Rub the fish steaks with lime juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper and leave 20 minutes while you build the base.
2. Warm the palm oil in a wide pan over medium heat until it turns from solid orange to clear red, about 90°C (195°F); smoked palm oil is bitter and no longer red.
3. Fry the onions 10–12 minutes until soft and golden, then add the chopped garlic, chilli and red pepper for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, cook 3 minutes until it darkens, add the chopped tomatoes and cook 10 minutes until thick and the oil floats free.
5. Add the water, bring to a simmer, then add the okra and cook 8 minutes, until it is tender and has thickened the sauce slightly without collapsing.
6. Lay the fish steaks on top of the sauce in a single layer and spoon a little over them, but do not stir from here on or the pieces will break up.
7. Cover and simmer very gently 10–12 minutes, until the flesh is opaque to the bone and a knife slides through with no resistance.
8. Turn off the heat, scatter the coriander over, cover again and let it stand 5 minutes so the herb perfumes the pot.
9. Serve straight from the pan with funge, lime wedges and gindungo, spooning the red oil over each portion.

Technique

• Muamba is the Kimbundu name for a palm-oil stew, and the fish version is the coastal cousin of the chicken moamba of the interior. Unrefined red palm oil is not optional: it is the colour, the body and half the flavour.
• Okra does two jobs, as a vegetable and as the thickener. Slice it thickly and give it enough time to soften, but stop before it disintegrates into strings.
• Once the fish is in, stop stirring. Angolan cooks shake the pan instead, so the steaks arrive at the table whole.

Substitutions

• Any firm white fish works: cod, hake, monkfish or tilapia. Avoid oily fish, which fights the palm oil, and thin fillets, which fall apart.
• No fresh okra: 250 g frozen sliced okra can go in straight from the freezer, cooked 3 minutes longer.

Variations

• Muamba de peixe com quiabos, the standard okra-heavy version described here.
• A Cabinda version finished with coconut milk in place of half the water.
• Made with fresh prawns and crab added in the last 6 minutes.

History

The coastal cousin of muamba de galinha, cooked with the red palm oil that colours much of Angolan cooking.

Frequently asked questions

What is Muamba de peixe?

Muamba de peixe is a soup & stew from Angola: fish stewed in palm oil with okra, garlic and chilli. The coastal cousin of muamba de galinha, cooked with the red palm oil that colours much of Angolan cooking.

How long does Muamba de peixe take to make?

Muamba de peixe takes 25 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Muamba de peixe?

Yes, within limits. Any firm white fish works: cod, hake, monkfish or tilapia. Avoid oily fish, which fights the palm oil, and thin fillets, which fall apart. No fresh okra: 250 g frozen sliced okra can go in straight from the freezer, cooked 3 minutes longer.

What is the most important thing to get right in Muamba de peixe?

Lay the fish steaks on top of the sauce in a single layer and spoon a little over them, but do not stir from here on or the pieces will break up.