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1
Prepare the stock and coconut milk a day or two ahead.
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2
Coat a large nonreactive (such as glass or enamel) saute pan with a half cup of the olive oil and place over medium-high heat.
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3
Saute the garlic in the oil just until golden, about four or five minutes.
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4
Add the onions and cook just until wilted, stirring frequently, about five or six minutes more.
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5
Add the tomatoes, parsley and seasonings.
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6
Heat thoroughly and add one cup of fish stock and four cups prepared coconut milk.
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7
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
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8
Cool and reserve.
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9
(This can be prepared a day ahead.)
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10
Salt and pepper the shrimp and refrigerate.
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11
Cut the fish fillets, checking for stray bones, into one-and-a-half-inch cubes, salt and pepper the cubes and refrigerate.
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12
Over medium heat, bring eight cups of fish stock to a simmer.
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13
Add the fish heads and trimmings to the stock, simmer for 15 minutes, strain and reserve the heads and keep the stock warm.
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14
Heat the remaining olive oil in a nonreactive saute pan over medium-high heat.
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15
Add the shrimp and saute briefly, until they are pink.
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16
Remove and reserve the shrimp.
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17
Add the fish cubes and saute them until they are golden but not thoroughly cooked.
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18
Remove and reserve with the shrimp.
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19
Deglaze the pan with a half cup of the warm fish stock and add the reserved coconut-fish stock mixture and bring to a simmer and keep warm over very low heat.
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20
To make the pirao, pick away the cheeks and excess meat from the heads and trimmings.
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21
Combine one cup of the fish meat with about a quarter cup of fish stock and puree in a food processor or electric blender.
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22
In a medium-sized heat-proof bowl, add the manioc flour and whisk in the heated stock a little at a time until it is the consistency of farina.
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23
Whisk in the fish puree, one tablespoon of dende oil and one teaspoon of pimente oil, or to taste.
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24
Cover and keep warm over a pan of simmering water while you finish cooking the fish.
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25
Raise the heat and bring the coconut-fish mixture to a simmer.
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26
Add the shrimp, cubed fish and their juices and bring to a simmer.
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27
Add the remaining two tablespoons of dende and one teaspoon of pimente oil.
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28
Transfer to a heated soup tureen or wide shallow soup plates and accompany with the pirao, slaw and boiled rice.
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29
Usually the shrimp are served in their shells and the shells eaten.
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30
If they are to be peeled - then they should be peeled just before reheating in the coconut-fish stock mixture.
