AI-generated image
Caldeirada à fragateira
Caldeirada à fragateira: the Tagus bargemen's layered fish, potato and tomato stew
The fragateiros sailed the flat-bottomed barges that carried cargo up and down the Tagus, and on board they cooked whatever fish they had in one pot, layered with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and peppers and left to steam in olive oil and wine. Lisbon restaurants still make caldeirada for a long lunch, ladled over toasted bread. Use at least three kinds of fish, mixing firm white ones with something richer. The wine contains alcohol; fish stock with a squeeze of lemon makes a good alcohol-free version. A common mistake is stirring the pot, which breaks the fish; shake it instead. Chef's tip: put the firmest fish at the bottom and the most delicate on top, so everything is done at the same time.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season 2 ⅝ lb mixed fish fillets and steaks with half the ¾ tsp salt, cover and keep in the fridge while you prepare the vegetables.
Step 2: Pour a third of ½ cup olive oil into a wide, heavy pot. Lay in half the 2 onions, then a layer of 1 ¾ lb waxy potatoes, half the 4 ripe tomatoes, half the 2 red and green peppers, half the 4 cloves garlic and the 2 bay leaves.
Step 3: Add the firmest fish next, then the rest of the vegetables, and the delicate fish on top. Sprinkle each layer with a little 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 dried chilli, 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley and the rest of ¾ tsp salt.
Step 4: Pour over ¾ cup dry white wine and the rest of the oil. Cover tightly and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
10 minStep 5: Cook gently for 30–35 minutes without stirring, giving the pot a shake now and then, until the potatoes are tender when pierced and the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
35 minStep 6: Taste the broth and adjust the salt. Put a slice of 6 slices of day-old bread in each deep plate and ladle the stew and broth over it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does caldeirada à fragateira take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sopa da pedra
Almeirim, a market town in the Ribatejo, is the capital of this soup; its restaurants serve it every day, and each bowl arrives with a clean stone at the bottom, after the folk tale of a friar who 'made soup from a stone' by talking villagers into giving him everything else. This is a pork soup: red kidney beans simmer with chouriço, morcela blood sausage and a piece of pork belly, then potatoes, carrots and coriander finish it into a thick, hearty bowl. Chef's tip: cook the sausages whole and slice them at the end, so they stay juicy and don't turn the broth greasy.
Rhode Island clam cakes
At beach shacks along Narragansett Bay and in Galilee, clam cakes are bought by the paper bag, half a dozen at a time, to dunk in a cup of clear clam chowder. They are not patties but craggy, golden fritters, crisp outside and soft inside, studded with chopped quahog clams. Chef's tip: use the clam juice as part of the liquid; it puts the sea flavour into every bite of batter.
American
Lemon garlic baked salmon
The easiest way to cook salmon perfectly: a hot oven, a quick lemon-garlic butter and 12 minutes. Serve with new potatoes and greens, or flake it over rice.