Monkfish cataplana with seafood, a Portuguese specialty

Imagine yourself on a sunny terrace in the Algarve, the sound of waves in the background and an intoxicating smell of sea and spices escaping from a mysterious copper container... Welcome to the world of Cataplana .

A true icon of Portuguese cuisine, the cataplana is both the name of the dish and the cooking vessel (this sort of airtight "dome"). Its slow cooking method preserves all the flavors and nutrients. Good news for discerning food lovers: this dish is naturally gluten-free (just be careful with the chorizo)! It's the ultimate convivial dish, healthy and colorful, and it truly delighted all my guests last week. And rest assured, even if you don't have a copper cataplana, as is my case, you can make the recipe in a large wok with a lid, a cast-iron casserole dish, or a large sauté pan; the result will be just as delicious.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time 40 minutes

Total time 1 hr

Cooking method: Traditional

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4

Ingredients

800g of monkfish tail (cleaned and cut into large pieces)
500g of mussels ( cleaned and rinsed)
8 beautiful raw shrimp
100g of spicy chorizo, sliced into rounds (certified gluten-free )
2 large bell peppers, sliced into strips (one red, one green)
3 chopped, ripe tomatoes (or 200g of tomato pulp)
2 onions (sliced)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
15 cl of dry white wine
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of sweet chili pepper (paprika)
Fresh coriander (or flat-leaf parsley)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1
In your cataplana (or a deep sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid), heat a drizzle of olive oil. Fry the chorizo until it releases its fragrant red oil. Remove it and set aside.
2
In the same oil, brown the monkfish pieces for 2 minutes per side. Remove them. Then add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Let them cook gently until the bell peppers are tender.
3
Stir in the tomatoes and paprika. Pour in the white wine. Reduce by half over high heat.
4
Arrange the monkfish pieces, chorizo, shrimp, and mussels harmoniously on the bed of vegetables. Seal the cataplana tightly (or place your lid on top).
5
Cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes. The trapped steam will cook the fish thoroughly while opening the mussels, which will release their briny juices.
6
Open the container (beware of the hot steam!), sprinkle generously with freshly chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Note

I was out of canned tomatoes, so I replaced them with a can of piperade (a mixture of tomatoes and peppers)

Keywords: Monkfish Cataplana recipe, Portuguese specialty, gluten-free cuisine, fish stew, traditional Algarve dish.