Ingredients
Seafood

• 500 g fresh clams soaked in salted water for 1 hour to purge sand

• 500 g fresh mussels cleaned and beards removed

• 300 g large raw prawns shell-on, deveined

• 200 g firm white fish such as monkfish or sea bass, cut into chunks

Base and seasoning

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large onion , thinly sliced

• 4 garlic cloves , finely chopped

• 1 red pepper sliced into thin strips

• 1 green pepper sliced into thin strips

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

• 100 ml of white wine.

• 200 ml fish stock

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• 1 bay leaf

• 4 sprigs of fresh coriander chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For serving

• Extra chopped coriander

• Crusty bread or boiled potatoes

 

Instructions

1. Clean and prepare all the shellfish. Soak clams in salted water for 1 hour, then rinse. Scrub mussels and remove their beards. Keep prawns and fish chilled until1 ready to cook. Switch to prepare the base.

2. Place your cataplana over medium heat and add olive oil. Once warm, add onions and sauté until soft and translucent.

3. Stir in chopped garlic, followed by red and green pepper strips. Cook for 3–4 minutes until slightly softened.

4. Add chopped tomatoes, sweet paprika, and a bay leaf. Stir and allow the tomatoes to break down.

5. Add in the white wine, scraping any browned bits from the base for extra flavour. Let it reduce for 2 minutes.

6. Add the fish stock and let it simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. Arrange the fish chunks on the tomato mixture, then add the prawns, mussels, and clams. Add in the chopped coriander. Close the cataplana securely.

8. Cook over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, shaking the cataplana gently a couple of times to help the seafood cook evenly. Don’t open the Cataplana until the time is up.

9. Open the cataplana carefully. The shellfish should be open. The fish should be cooked through. Discard any clams or mussels that remain closed. Adjust seasoning if needed

10. Serve the Cataplana from the vessel for maximum aroma. Garnish with some extra coriander and offer with some crusty bread or potatoes to soak up the sauce.