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Cataplana de marisco
Cataplana de marisco: Algarve clams, prawns and fish steamed with chouriço in a shell-shaped pan
Cataplana is the Algarve's showpiece, named after the hinged, clam-shaped copper pan it is cooked in, and it is served at the table in harbour towns like Olhão and Portimão, lid opened in a puff of steam. This version contains pork: smoky chouriço sausage goes in with the onion, peppers and tomato, then clams, prawns and firm white fish steam on top in their own juices. Bring bread for the broth. No cataplana? A wide casserole with a tight lid works. Chef's tip: purge the clams in salty water in the fridge for an hour so they spit out their sand before cooking.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the base
For the seafood
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb live clams in a bowl of cold water with 2 tbsp salt for purging and leave in the fridge for 1 hour. Lift them out (leaving the sand behind) and tap any open ones: throw away any that stay open, or that have cracked or broken shells.
60 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in the cataplana base or a wide casserole over a medium heat. Fry 4 oz pork chouriço sausage for 2 minutes until its red oil runs, then add 2 onions, 4 cloves garlic and 2 red and green peppers and cook for 10 minutes until soft.
12 minStep 3: Add 4 ripe tomatoes, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 2 bay leaves and 1 piri-piri chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes, and cook for 8 minutes until the tomatoes collapse into a thick sauce. Pour in ¾ cup fish stock and bring to a simmer.
9 minStep 4: Lay 14 oz firm white fish such as monkfish in the sauce, then 14 oz large raw prawns, shell on, then the clams on top. Close the cataplana (or cover tightly) and cook over a medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, shaking the pan gently once or twice.
10 minStep 5: Open the lid: the clams should be wide open, the prawns pink all over and the fish opaque and flaking. Discard any clams that have stayed shut. A common mistake is opening the lid every minute; the trapped steam is what cooks the seafood evenly.
2 minStep 6: Scatter with 1 handful fresh coriander and serve straight from the pan, with 1 lemon and plenty of bread for the broth.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cataplana de marisco take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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