Cataplana- A Portuguese Fish Stew
Serves 6
Ingredients
400 g or 14 ounces clams
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 small green pepper, cut into strips
½ bunch, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bird’s eye chile, finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, peeled and seeded (see note below) and thinly sliced
Kosher salt
150 ml or ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
300 g or 11 ounces monkfish tails or loins, cut into 1-inch pieces
300 g or 11 ounces snapper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
150 ml or about ½ cup dry white wine
16 large raw prawns, unpeeled
100 g or 3 ½ ounces ham, cut into small cubes
80 grams chorizo, very thinly sliced
1000 g or 2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Instructions
Rinse the clams a few times in cold water and put them into a large bowl with a pinch of salt and let them stand for 40 minutes. Drain.
In a cataplana, add half of the onions, peppers, parsley, garlic, chiles and tomatoes and drizzle with half or the olive oil.
Place the monkfish, snapper and clams on top. Crush the bay leaves on top. Top with the remaining onions, peppers, parsley, garlic, chiles and tomatoes. Drizzle the wine over the top and season with salt. Place the prawns on top.
Place the ham and chorizo onto the top spreading evenly. Cover with the lid and over medium heat, cook the cataplana for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let rest 10 minutes before opening.
In the meantime, put the potatoes in a large pot of cold salted water and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Serve the boiled potatoes alongside the fish stew.
Serves 8
Tip: To easily remove the skin of the tomato, stick it on a fork and heat it in the nozzle of the stove. The skin will loosen easily.
