Cuttlefish and cod stew recipe
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Total: 1 h 30 min Diners: 4
Just as in Spain we have the paella and that, by metonymy, the container gives name to the dish; in Portugal they have the cataplana.
A recipe that is still a Portuguese seafood stew, in this particular case a stew of cuttlefish and cod, in the style of suquet or any of the many seafood and fishermen stews that exist throughout the width and length of the Mediterranean coast.
The cataplana is the vessel that gives its name to the dishes cooked in it and, as with rice, the options are endless. Everything fits inside the cataplana, since you don’t have to be afraid of the name, but treat it as just another stew pot.
The good thing? Because there are so many cooking possibilities, it can be used to preside over a good meal, one of those that has been cooking since early in the morning, or it can solve a silly dinner when we don’t feel like messing around in the kitchen. Only one pot gets dirty and you can add any small piece of vegetable that we have forgotten at the bottom of the fridge.
The cataplana is halfway between a frying pan and a casserole. It has a concave shape and incorporates a lid so that all the food is cooked to the chup chup and in its own juices and aromas.
You can make the preparations that you like the most, but, since we are talking about Portugal, what better way to honor our neighboring country than with a fish so appreciated by the Lusitanians as cod. Along with this, a good fresh cuttlefish creates the perfect combination to feed us now that temperatures drop and it gets dark earlier.
In Spain it is not easy to find a restaurant that prepares it in a traditional way, but in the Algarve, place of origin of the cataplana, there is Vista, a restaurant with devotion to the Portuguese product that will make you savor the Atlantic with very classic preparations. But to savor Portuguese gastronomy, in the capital is Atlantik Corner which, with a somewhat lower price tag, is a firm reflection of its name, embodying the best product of the entire Atlantic coast.
How to make a cuttlefish cataplana or stew
Ingredients
. Cuttlefish, 1 pc (large) Large onion, 1 pc Garlic cloves, 2 pc Green bell pepper, 1/2 pc Red bell pepper, 1/2 pc Taquitos of Iberian ham, 100 g Fried tomato, 3 tablespoons White wine, 100 ml Fish stock, 400 ml Fresh cod, 200 g Bay leaf, 1 leaf Salt and black pepper, c/s Fresh cilantro, to taste
Step 1
In a pot, with the oil, poach the onion with the finely chopped garlic with a little salt until very tender.
Add the red bell pepper and the green bell pepper, cut into very small cubes, and sauté well over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Step 2
Incorporate the diced ham and fry for 1 minute.
Step 3
Raise the heat and add the cuttlefish, previously cleaned of its insides and outer skin, and cut into cubes of approximately 1.5×1.5 cm. Stir until it turns white, a couple of minutes.
Step 4
Then add the fried tomato and bay leaf.
Step 5
Water with the white wine, let it evaporate over high heat and cover with the fish stock. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes at minimum heat, allowing a crack of steam to escape.
Step 6
When the cuttlefish is very tender, add salt and black pepper and let it evaporate without the lid if it has too much stock.
Step 7
At the last minute add the chopped cod and turn off the heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving, seasoning with plenty of fresh coriander.
Tricks and suggestions
It could also be made with squid or baby squid and we could add some cockles, mussels or clams in the last minutes of cooking so that they open with the residual heat of the stew. We could also make a final mash to finish on top with some herbs, nuts such as hazelnut or almond and lemon peel, in the style of a gremolata.
