Cataplana

Cataplana de Marisco e Peixe

Cataplana is the signature dish of the Algarve, traditionally steamed in a hinged copper pot that traps and concentrates the briny, smoky aromas of clams, white fish, and chouriço. Opening the cataplana at the table is part of the ritual — the rush of steam smells of the Atlantic and the Portuguese countryside at once.

Prep

25 min

Cook

35 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1000 g (2¼ lb) live clams (amêijoas), scrubbed and soaked in salted water 30 min; discard any open ones that don't close when tapped
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) firm white fish (congrejo, monkfish, or hake), skin on, cut into 4 cm chunks
• •200 g (7 oz) Portuguese chouriço, sliced into 1 cm rounds; Portuguese chouriço is smoked and paprika-cured, not Mexican chorizo
• •150 g (5 oz) bacon (toucinho), cut into lardons, optional but traditional
• •2 g (2 tbsp) olive oil, Portuguese extra-virgin if possible
• •2 whole (2 medium) onions, thinly sliced
• •1 whole (1 large) red bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips
• •4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• •3 whole (3 medium) ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped; or 400 g canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine, Vinho Verde or another dry Portuguese white
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •5 g fresh coriander (coentro), small handful, chopped; flat-leaf parsley is an acceptable substitute
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) flaky sea salt, adjust to taste; clams are salty
• •0.25 tsp (¼ tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •1 pinch saffron threads or smoked paprika (pimentão), optional, but common in the Algarve

Steps

1. 1 Soak the clams in cold salted water for 30 minutes to purge sand, then drain. Discard any clams that are open and do not close when tapped — they are dead and unsafe to eat.
2. 2 If using a traditional copper cataplana, no extra water is needed; the dish steams in its own juices. If substituting a wide heavy lidded pot (Dutch oven), add 60 ml (¼ cup) water with the wine, and seal tightly with a strip of foil under the lid to trap steam.
3. 3 Heat the olive oil in the cataplana (open, flat) over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and chouriço and fry 3–4 minutes until the bacon renders and the chouriço is lightly caramelised at the edges. Push to one side.
4. 4 Add the onion, red pepper, and garlic. Cook gently for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned.
5. 5 Stir in the chopped tomato and tomato paste along with the bay leaf, saffron or smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, mashing with a spoon, until the mixture has thickened to a jam-like consistency — this base concentrates flavour and prevents a watery stew.
6. 6 Nestle the fish chunks into the sauce, pour in the wine, scatter the coriander over, then top with the clams and arrange the chouriço and bacon over everything. Do not stir from this point — layering matters.
7. 7 Close and clamp the cataplana. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20–25 minutes. Do not lift the lid during cooking.
8. 8 Doneness cues: clams must be fully open (discard any that stay closed after cooking); fish should flake easily and read 60–63 °C (140–145 °F) on an instant-read thermometer, opaque all the way through.
9. 9 Remove from heat and let the cataplana rest, still closed, for 5 minutes. Bring the whole pot to the table.
10. 10 At the table, release the clamp and lift the lid away from your face — a burst of hot steam will escape. Stir gently, taste the broth and adjust salt. Serve immediately in shallow bowls with crusty Portuguese bread (papo-secos) to soak up the juices, and a green salad on the side.