Cataplana de marisco is the Algarve’s signature dish and its most beautiful piece of cookware in one: clams, mussels, shrimp and squid steamed together in a clam-shaped copper pan whose sealed halves trap every drop of aroma.
Inside, a base of tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and white wine turns into a broth that tastes intensely of the sea — the cataplana’s pressure-cooker effect concentrates everything.
No cataplana pan? A heavy skillet with a tight lid does the job honorably. What is non-negotiable is the crusty bread — this is a communal, middle-of-the-table dish, and the broth is the prize everyone is really after.
Cataplana de Marisco Recipe
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup fish or seafood stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound fresh clams, scrubbed
- 1 pound fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Cook along
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a cataplana or heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peppers and cook 3 minutes more.
- Stir in the tomatoes, both paprikas and the bay leaf, and cook until the tomatoes break down into a sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and stock, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.
- Add the clams and mussels, close the cataplana (or cover), and cook 5 minutes, until the shells begin to open.
- Add the shrimp and squid, stir gently, cover again and cook another 5 minutes.
- Discard any unopened shells, shower with parsley, and serve immediately with lemon wedges and plenty of crusty bread.
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