AI-generated image
Caldeirada galega
Caldeirada galega: layered Galician stew of mixed white fish and potatoes with paprika ajada
In fishing towns like Ribeira, Bueu and Muxía, caldeirada was the fishermen's way of cooking whatever the boat brought in, and it is still served at seaside restaurants and at the July fiestas of the Virgen del Carmen, patron of sailors. Unlike merluza á galega, it uses several kinds of fish, such as monkfish, ray, conger or hake, layered with potatoes and onion and cooked in very little water, then finished with plenty of ajada. A common mistake is stirring the pot, which breaks the fish into flakes; shake it gently instead. Chef's tip: put the firmest fish at the bottom and the most delicate on top, so everything finishes cooking together.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the stew
For the ajada
To serve
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Layer 2 ¼ lb waxy potatoes, 2 onions and 2 bay leaves in a wide, heavy pot. Pour in 3 ¼ cups water with 2 tsp salt, bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 12–15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
15 minStep 2: Lay the 1 ⅛ lb monkfish or conger, in thick slices on the potatoes, then the 1 ⅓ lb ray wings or hake steaks on top. Cover and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, shaking the pot now and then, until all the fish is opaque, flakes easily and comes away from the bone.
12 minStep 3: Meanwhile, warm ½ cup olive oil and 5 cloves garlic over a medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes until the garlic is pale gold. Take off the heat, wait 30 seconds, then stir in 2 tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp hot paprika, followed by 1 tbsp white wine vinegar.
3 minStep 4: Tip most of the cooking liquid out of the pot (keep it for soup), leaving just a little. Pour the ajada evenly over the fish and potatoes, shake the pot to spread it and leave to rest, covered, for 3 minutes.
4 minStep 5: Bring the pot to the table and serve in shallow bowls, scattered with parsley.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does caldeirada galega take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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
Horchata de chufa
Horchata de chufa is the drink of Valencia's summer, sold ice-cold in the city's horchaterías with long, soft fartons pastries for dipping. It is made from chufas, or tiger nuts: small wrinkled tubers grown around the village of Alboraya just north of Valencia, which have their own protected designation of origin. Soaked, ground with water, strained and sweetened, they give a creamy, nutty, naturally dairy-free milk with a hint of cinnamon. Valencians drink it very cold, or half-frozen as 'granizada'. Chef's tip: soak the tiger nuts for a full 24 hours and change the water once; they must be plump and soft enough to blend into a fine pulp, or the horchata will be thin and taste of raw starch.
Singapore chilli crab
Chilli crab was first sold from a pushcart on the Kallang river in the 1950s and is now the dish visitors queue for along Singapore's East Coast seafood strip. Big mud crabs are cut up, wok-fried and simmered in a thick, sweet, tangy and gently hot sauce of chilli, tomato and garlic, which is then silked with beaten egg. Everyone eats with their hands and mops up the sauce with fried or steamed mantou buns. It is a weekend or celebration meal, messy and loud. Buy crabs live or freshly cooked the same day from a fishmonger you trust. Discard any live crab that doesn't move, smells of ammonia or has a cracked, leaking shell. The common mistake is boiling the sauce after adding the egg, which scrambles it into lumps; pour it in a thin stream over a low heat. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger to clean and quarter the crab for you, and crack each claw lightly with the back of a cleaver so the sauce soaks in.
Singaporean
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