Moqueca and Pão de Queijo

Ingredients

For the Pão de queijo:

• 1 large egg
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
• 2 cups tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons potato starch
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Moqueca:

• Salt to taste
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound cod or other firm white fish, cut into bite-size pieces
• 8 ounces sea scallops, cut into bite-size pieces
• Juice of 2 limes, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled with tails left on, deveined, and cleaned
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dendê oil, palm oil, or coconut oil, divided (see note)
• 1 teaspoon paprika (optional, see note)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 bell peppers (preferably different colors), seeded and chopped
• 1 large bunch cilantro, stems finely chopped, leaves left whole, divided
• 2 jalapeños, finely chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup canned hearts of palm, drained and chopped
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. 2
   In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, and milk. Stir in the cheese and chives.
3. 3
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the tapioca flour, potato starch, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well until the dough comes together. If it is sticky, add a little more tapioca flour; if is dry, add a little more milk.
4. 4
   With an ice cream scoop, scoop balls of dough into the lined muffin cups. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the tops begin to turn golden and crack.
5. 5
   While the pão de queijo is in the oven, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
6. 6
   Meanwhile, put the cod and scallops in a large bowl. Add the juice of 1 lime, the garlic, and salt, toss to coat, and set aside. 
7. 7
   In a separate bowl, toss the shrimp with the olive oil and juice of the remaining lime and set aside. 
8. 8
   Heat 1½ tablespoons of the dendê oil (or coconut oil with 1 teaspoon paprika; see note) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, cilantro stems, and jalapeños and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and paprika and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Gently fold in the cod, scallops, potatoes, hearts of palm, and claim juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes as desired. Turn off the heat and uncover the pot.
9. 9
   In a saucepan, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon dendê oil (or coconut oil) over medium heat. Add the shrimp, a few red pepper flakes, and salt and quickly sear the shrimp just until they turn bright orange, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and reserve the oil in the pan for drizzling on the chowder before serving.
10. 10
    Ladle the chowder into rustic crock-type bowls. Place several shrimp in the center of the bowl, garnish with the cilantro, and drizzle the shrimp cooking oil across the top of each bowl. Serve the pão de queijo alongside.