Cataplana de Peixe – Algarve fish stew

Cataplana is both a traditional Portuguese seafood stew and the name of the characteristic hammered copper pan with a soldered lid in which it is...

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh clams
• 300 g monkfish tail (alternatively flounder)
• 300 g grouper
• 300 g red snapper
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 3 onions, peeled and sliced
• 0.2 green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 bird's eye chillies, finely chopped
• 220 ml olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Bund of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 100 ml brandy
• 160 ml white wine
• 12 prawns with heads and shells
• 100 g Serrano ham, cut into thin slices
• 80 g chorizo, thinly sliced
• 700 g potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices
• sea salt

Steps

1. Rinse the clams a few times in cold water to remove any grains of sand, then place in a large bowl of water, add a good pinch of salt and leave to stand for 40 minutes. This will remove the sand and grains of sand from the clams. Leave to drain.
2. Gut the fish, clean and remove any scales, then cut into small pieces and season with salt.
3. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Score the top of the tomatoes crosswise with a sharp knife. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the tomatoes and blanch for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon into the iced water and leave to cool.
4. As soon as they have cooled, peel off the skin, cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into small pieces.
5. Place half of the onions, peppers, garlic, chillies and tomatoes in a bowl. Season with a pinch of salt, then pour over half of the olive oil.
6. Arrange the fish and clams on top, then crush the bay leaves over the top.
7. Cover with the remaining onions, parsley, paprika, garlic and tomatoes and pour over the brandy and white wine. Arrange the prawns in a single layer on top, then add a layer of ham and chorizo. Cover the cataplana with the lid and cook for 20 minutes over a medium heat.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
9. In the meantime, place the potatoes in a large pan of cold water, season with salt and cook over a medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.
10. Drain them.
11. Serve the boiled potatoes with the fish stew.