Season the shrimp briefly
Toss shrimp with lime juice, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon dendê. Rest 10 minutes while you slice the vegetables.
Recipes › Moqueca de Camarao
Moqueca de Camarao
A luminous Brazilian coconut-and-dendê stew layered with peppers, tomato and shrimp — the vegetables get the simmer, the shrimp get only the final few minutes.
Jump to RecipeServing suggestion. Follow the ingredients and texture guidance below; the image is not a doneness reference.
The Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Optional shell stock
If you have shells, toast them in a teaspoon of dendê, add 1 1/2 cups water, simmer 12 minutes and strain.
Layer the vegetables
Coat a heavy pot with 1 tablespoon dendê. Layer onion, peppers and tomato, seasoning lightly as you go.
Steam the base
Add 1 cup shell stock or water, cover and cook over medium heat about 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables soften but still hold shape.
Add shrimp last
Arrange shrimp over the vegetables, scatter on chile, and pour coconut milk around the edges.
Gentle final simmer
Lower the heat and simmer gently 3 to 5 minutes, just until the shrimp are opaque. Avoid a hard boil.
Finish at the table
Drizzle with remaining dendê and scatter cilantro and scallions over the top. Serve with white rice.
OPTIONAL UPGRADE
Flavor Bomb
Keep the core recipe clean, or flip this on for one or two high-impact upgrades.
How to know it's done
Use these recipe-specific texture cues. Color and curl alone cannot establish safety; use a thermometer to check 145°F / 63°C at the thickest part for cooked shrimp.
ShrimpSense Notes
The little details that make a big difference.
Layer, do not stew to death
The vegetables should remain distinct and the shrimp should sit on top, not disappear into a long braise.
Dendê is a finishing aroma too
Some palm oil goes in early for color; a little raw finish preserves fragrance.
26/30 is a good compromise
Large enough to remain distinct, small enough for plenty of shrimp across four bowls.
The sauce is eaten
Any shrimp sweetness released into the broth stays part of the dish.