Food writer Ixta Belfrage has created a fusion recipe that transforms Brazil's traditional moqueca stew into a spiced fish burger with slaw and lime. The dish takes inspiration from the Bahian seafood stew, which typically includes red palm fruit oil, bell peppers, and coconut milk, but adds untraditional twists such as a smooth sauce made from all the stew's ingredients.
Belfrage explains that the burger is intentionally saucy, encouraging diners to serve it with a bowl of the sauce for dipping. The recipe uses skinless fish fillets such as hake, haddock, or cod, marinated in a sauce made from Scotch bonnet chilli, red palm oil, and spring onions, among other ingredients.
Preparation involves marinating the fish for 30 minutes to an hour, then baking at a high oven temperature until the sauce bubbles and thickens. The buns are toasted, and a slaw of mixed ingredients is prepared. Each burger is assembled with a fish fillet, plenty of sauce, and a generous amount of slaw, served immediately with extra lime.
The recipe, which takes about 5-10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook, offers a modern take on a classic Brazilian dish, blending traditional flavours with a contemporary burger format.
