Cataplana de Peixe

Ingredients

• 1½ lbfirm white fish filletfirm varieties such as monkfish, hake, conger, grouper, skate or perch; cut into pieces or steaks
• 2onionsliced into rings or half-moons
• 2 clovesgarlicchopped or crushed
• 10½ oztomatoessliced or crushed
• 1bell pepperred, cut into strips
• ½ cupwhite winedry
• ⅓ cupolive oildrizzled over the layers
• 6⅓ ozclamssoaked in salted water beforehand
• 7 ozprawnspeeled or shell-on
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1 bunchparsleyfresh, for cooking and garnish
• saltto taste
• black pepperground
• 3½ ozchorizoPortuguese paprika sausage, thinly sliced (optional)
• 5presuntoslices of dry-cured ham, chopped (optional)
• 1bay leaf (optional)
• 1 cupfish stockfor a more generous broth (optional)

Method

1. Soak the clamsSoak the clams in salted water for about 30 minutes so they release any sand, then drain them.
2. Prepare the fishClean the white fish, cut it into pieces or steaks and salt it. If you like, marinate it in the meantime with the white wine, the sweet paprika and a little black pepper.
3. Cut the vegetablesSlice the onions into rings, chop the garlic, slice the tomatoes and cut the red bell pepper into strips.
4. Lay the first vegetable layerLayer half of the vegetables in the cataplana and season lightly with salt and pepper. If you didn't marinate the fish, sprinkle the sweet paprika over the vegetable layer. If you're using chouriço and a bay leaf, tuck them between the layers now.
5. Layer in the fishLay the fish on top of the vegetables and cover it with the rest of the vegetables.
6. Add wine and oilPour the white wine (or the marinade) and the olive oil over everything and add some of the parsley. For a more generous broth, add fish stock if you like.
7. Simmer with the lid onClose the cataplana and cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
8. Cook the clams and shrimpAdd the clams and shrimp, close the lid again and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the clams have opened; discard any that stay shut.
9. Open at the table and serveBring the cataplana straight to the table and open it there. Remove the bay leaf, if used, and scatter over the remaining parsley.

Tips and variations

No cataplana? Make it as an open braise instead: start with a sofrito of onion, garlic and bell pepper, then add tomato paste, wine and fish stock, brown the conger first and add the rest of the fish and the shellfish after it. For a version without any shellfish, use just skate and perch, with presunto instead of chouriço, and turn the cataplana over halfway through cooking. Serve with boiled potatoes on the side and the broth becomes a proper meal.