Brazilian Seafood Stew with Walleye and Shrimp

Summertime always gets a little veggie heavy around here. The garden (which I haven't weeded in two weeks, thanks for the reminder) is still producing mounds of lettuce and our CSA share has been a pure joy in abundance and variety.

However, much to the relief of my husband, we haven't gone completely vegetarian. To the contrary, we've been eatin' good in the neighborhood, with grillfests of ribs, brats, burgers and steaks being a summer rituals with our friends and family. And what would summer be without piles of freshly-caught walleye?

It's been a tough summer for fishermen in Bismarck-Mandan. The river is practically inaccessible with most nearby docks flooded, and the fast current has dredged out a lot of the good fishing holes, so every weekend the highways fill with trucks hauling boats out to nearby lakes or the Big Water known as Lake Sakakawea (pronounced Sah-kah-kah-WEE-ah here...probably not how Sacajawea herself would've pronounced it, I know). My in-laws live on an arm of the lake known as Van Hook, and man, hubby has brought in some good catches, limiting out with five fish most days.

We stock our freezer with most of the catch, but I always set aside some fresh walleye for dinner. I love fried fish, but this stew was a nice change of pace. I adore anything with coconut milk and cilantro, and frankly you could easily make this into more of a thai dish with a big spoonful of curry paste mixed in when you add the coconut milk. In fact, next time I whip this up, that's what I plan on doing. As long as our luck reeling in those walleye holds out, of course.

Brazilian Seafood Stew with Walleye and Shrimp
Adapted from The New American Plate cookbook, which is a good, super-healthy cookbook - almost too healthy. I cranked up the fat content a bit. Reduced fat coconut milk is not my friend. 

1 lb. walleye fillets, cut into 1" chunks
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 sweet peppers, chopped (green, red, orange, yellow - pick your fav colors)
1 serrano chile, seeded and diced (or leave some of the seeds if you like it hot)
1 garlic clove, mashed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (14.5 oz) coconut milk
Handful of cilantro, chopped
Handful of chives or green onions, chopped
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. In a bowl, whisk together 2 Tbls olive oil, the lime juice, and the minced garlic. Add fish, coating on all sides. Let stand for 15 mins.

In a large pot, heat 2 Tbls. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, chile, and mashed garlic. Saute for 5 mins, stirring often, until onion is translucent. Mix in tomatoes with juice, coconut milk, shrimp, fish and marinade. Bring liquid to a simmer and cook gently for 5-7 mins, until fish and shrimp are opaque in center. Don't overcook. Season to taste with salt and pepper, sprinkle generously with cilantro and chives, and serve with rice and extra lime wedges.