Brazilian Caldeirada de Peixe, Amazonian Fish Stew

📍 Where this dish comes from: Belém · Ver-o-Peso Market
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Caldeirada is the one-pot fish stew of Brazil's rivers and coast, adapted from a Portuguese fisherman's dish. In the Amazon it is made with big, meaty river fish layered with tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs, and gently simmered so the fish stays in large, tender pieces. Chayote replaces the usual potato and soaks up all the flavor.

Per serving: 335 calories · 7.7 g net carbs · 50 g protein · 10 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Caldeirada de Peixe, Amazonian Fish Stew

Caldeirada is the one-pot fish stew of Brazil's rivers and coast, adapted from a Portuguese fisherman's dish. In the Amazon it is made with big, meaty river fish layered with tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs, and gently simmered so the fish stays in large, tender pieces. Chayote replaces the usual potato and soaks up all the flavor.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 335kcal

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds firm white fish fillets (filhote tucunaré, cod or halibut), cut in large chunks
• 7 ounces medium shrimp peeled
• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion sliced into rings
• 2 medium tomatoes sliced
• 1 green bell pepper sliced into rings
• 1 chayote peeled and cut into thick slices
• 2 cups fish broth or water
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup sliced scallion

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Instructions

• Season the fish and shrimp with the lime juice, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Let them marinate for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
• Pour the olive oil into a wide, heavy pot. Make a layer of half the onion, tomato, pepper and chayote, sprinkle with a little salt and half the cilantro.
• Lay the fish on top in a single layer, then cover with the remaining vegetables and cilantro.
• Pour in the broth, cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook gently for 20 minutes without stirring; just shake the pot now and then.
• Tuck the shrimp into the stew, cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until they are pink and the chayote is tender.
• Taste the broth for salt, scatter with scallion and serve straight from the pot.

Notes

Do not stir once the stew is assembled, or the fish will break apart. Shaking the pot gently is enough to keep anything from sticking. Chayote holds its shape well, so it can go in with the fish rather than being cooked separately.

Chef's Tip: Ask your fishmonger for the fish bones and simmer them for 20 minutes with onion and herbs for a quick homemade broth.

Keto Swap: Potatoes are a standard part of most caldeiradas, and caldeirada is usually served with white rice and pirão, a cassava flour porridge made with the broth. Chayote replaces the potato, and cauliflower rice is a good partner on the side.

Success Tip: Bring the pot to the table and let everyone serve themselves. Children usually love the shrimp, so add a few extra for them.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 335kcal | Protein: 50g | Fat: 10g | Fiber: 2.7g

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About This Dish

Caldeirada gets its name from caldeira, the cauldron or large pot fishermen used to cook their catch. The dish came from Portugal, where every fishing town has its own version. In the Amazon, cooks make caldeirada with river fish such as tucunaré, tambaqui and filhote, the young of the giant piraíba catfish. Belém's Ver-o-Peso market is one of the best places in Brazil to see these river fish being sold. Leftover broth is often thickened with cassava flour into pirão and eaten alongside the stew.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 3: Soups & Stews (Ver-o-Peso Market). See all Brazilian recipes