Name: Seafood Cataplana
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min

Seafood Cataplana

Cataplana is a special dish (wok) to prepare seafood in Portugal. This dish boasts of a wide variety of seafood ranging from clams to crayfish and prawns to mussels. This Portuguese recipe is a definite try.

Ingredients

Garlic, minced - 4 Cloves
Onion, chopped finely - 1
Green Bell Pepper - 1
Small Hard Shell Clams - 16
Large Shrimp - 450 Grams
Dry Vermouth - 1/2 Cup(s)
Crumbled Saffron Threads - 1/2 Teaspooon
Heavy Cream - 1 Cup(s)
Crayfish Tails, cooked - 220 Grams
Shallot, chopped finely - 1
Red Bell Pepper - 1
Ripened Tomato - 1
Mussels - 30
Olive Oil - 2 Tablespoon
Dry White Wine - 2 Cup(s)
Fish Stock - 2 Cup(s)
Sea Salt to taste
Fresh Sorrel Leaves, chopped - 1 Tablespoon

Steps

Step 1
Cut the bell peppers in julienned strips. Next, cut the tomatoes in ¼” dices. Scrub mussels and clams and remove the beards from mussels. Devein the shrimps.
Step 2
In a heavy, shallow kettle having a lid, cook the minced garlic, chopped onion, bell peppers and shallot in oil on moderate heat, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add vermouth, saffron and wine and boil it uncovered, until the liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup.
Step 3
Next, add stock and cream and bring to a boil. Add clams immediately and simmer for 3 minutes, until they open. Stir in mussels, tomato, shrimp, pepper and salt to taste and mix well.
Step 4
Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer the seafood to a big bowl, boil the cooking liquid, uncovered for 5 minutes, until reduced to half. Return the seafood to liquid cooking and stir in sorrel and crayfish.
Step 5
Heat the seafood in cataplana on moderate heat, until heated through and serve immediately.

Note: Dry Vermouth can be substituted by dry sherry. White grape juice can be used in place of dry white wine. Clam juice can be used in absence of fish stock.