Moqueca
Executive Chef Jeff Tunks, Ceiba
 
Serves 4
 
Ingredients
2 ounces                 blended olive oil (divided)
3 each                   Spanish onion, julienned (divided)
1/3 cup                  minced garlic (divided)
2 pounds                 ripe Roma tomatoes, rough chopped
2 cups                   white wine
1 can                    whole peeled tomatoes with juice
1/2 bunch                fresh oregano, picked and rough chopped
2 each                   bay leaves
2 quarts                 fish fumet (divided)
1 13-ounce can           coconut milk
6 ounces                 palm oil
                         salt, to taste
1 each                   red bell pepper, julienned
2 each                   ripe Rome tomatoes, julienned
2 each                   8-ounce lobster tails, split in shell
12 each                  U/12 head-on shrimp, peeled with head intact
2 pounds                 mussels
4 cups                   cooked long grain rice
 
Procedure
Broth
In a medium-sized pot, heat just enough of the blended olive oil to coat the pan.  Add 2 of the julienned onions and cook until soft and translucent.  Add all but 1 tablespoon of garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the fresh, rough chopped tomatoes and cook until soft.  Add the white wine to deglaze, allowing the wine to cook off.  Add the canned tomatoes with sauce, fresh oregano, bay leaves, and 1 quart of fish fumet and simmer for 45 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and palm oil and simmer for another 45 minutes.  Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer.  Reserve and keep warm.  Add salt as desired.
 
Sofrito
In a medium saucepot, heat just enough of the blended olive oil to coat the pan.  Add the red bell pepper and sauté for 1 minute.  Add remaining onion and cook until soft.  Add the juilenned tomatoes and remaining garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and reserve.
 
Assembly
In a medium saucepot, heat just enough of the blended olive oil to coat the pan.  Sear the lobster tails and shrimp until golden brown.  Add the mussels, broth, and remaining fish fumet and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mussels have opened and the lobster and shrimp are cooked through.
 
Place one cup of cooked rice in each of four large serving bowls.  Divide the sofrito into four servings and place on top of the rice.  Using tongs, place 1 split lobster tail, 3 shrimp, and one-fourth of the mussels in each bowl.  Ladle sauce equally into each dish.