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Fish And Shrimp In Ginger - Flavored Peanut Sauce
(Vatapa)
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| What You Need: |
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4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds sea bass fillets and 1 pound halibut fillets, cut crosswise into 2-inch-wide pieces, or substitute any other combination of firm white fish
1 pound raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ cup finely chopped onions
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (see salsa cruda), or substitute 2/3 cup chopped, drained, canned Italian plum tomatoes
1 bottled tabasco pepper drained, seeded and finely chopped
1 coconut, freshly grated
2½ cups water or milk
¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts, wrapped in a towel and crushed with a rolling pin
¼ cup dried shrimp, ground in a blender or pulverized with a mortar and pestle
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger, or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon rice flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons dende oil, if available
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| How To Cook: |
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1. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. In it, lightly brown the fish and shrimp in 2 or 3 batches, being careful not to crowd the pan and not to let the fish and shrimp overcook. As you proceed, transfer the cooked seafood to a plate with a slotted spoon. Set the fish and shrimp aside.
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2. Add the chopped onions to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent but not brown.
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3. Add the tomatoes and the Tabasco pepper, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the grated coconut, then add the 2½ cups of water or milk, the peanuts, dried shrimp, coriander, ginger, salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
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4. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir in the rice flour and water mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly.
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5. With the back of a spoon, force the sauce through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, pressing down hard on the contents of the sieve to extract all of their liquid before discarding them.
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6. Return the strained sauce to the skillet, and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the spoon lightly. Add the fish and shrimp and the dende oil, and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the fish and shrimp are heated through.
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7. To serve, transfer the entire contents of the skillet to a large, deep heated platter. If you like, you may accompany the "vatapa" with the pirao de arroz com leite de coco.
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