Cataplana (Portuguese Fish Stew) Recipe

Cataplana (Portuguese Fish Stew)

4.7

(3)

2 Reviews

Hailing from the Algarve region of Portugal, Cataplana is a savory feast of shellfish and the smoky pork sausage linguiça.

Justin Chapple

Updated on April 8, 2024

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Yield:

4 to 6 servings

This Portuguese fish stew is named for the vessel it's traditionally cooked and served in; here, we use a large Dutch oven instead.

Frequently asked questions

What do Cubanelle peppers taste like?

This recipe calls for two fresh Cubanelle chiles, aka Cuban or Italian frying peppers. They're considered sweet peppers and have a very mild heat, if any at all. Cubanelles are a common ingredient in dishes throughout Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Italy, and the Dominican Republic, where most imported chiles are grown. If you can't source them in your area, swap them out for banana peppers, poblanos, or yellow bell peppers.

How do you eat cataplana?

We like to serve cataplana with warm Portuguese rolls called papo secos, which boast crusty exteriors while remaining light and airy inside. The stew is also wonderful over rice or potatoes.

Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Cataplana gets lots of flavor from a type of pork sausage called linguiça, but you can substitute Spanish-style chorizo or even kielbasa in a pinch.

Suggested pairing

Pair Cataplana with a tropical-fruited Portuguese white wine like Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces linguiça, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 large yellow onion (about 1 pound), cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise (about 3 cups)
2 medium-size fresh Cubanelle chiles, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced crosswise (about 1 1/2 cups)
4 large garlic cloves, sliced (2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
2 cups clam juice
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
2 cups packed chopped kale
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 littleneck clams (about 9 ounces), scrubbed
8 ounces peeled and deveined tail-on raw large shrimp (about 12 shrimp)
4 ounces cleaned small squid tentacles (12 to 15 small tentacles), rinsed
8 mussels (about 4 ounces), scrubbed and debearded
Portuguese rolls, warmed

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add linguiça; cook, stirring often, until fat just starts to render, about 3 minutes. Add onion, chiles, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are just softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add wine to mixture in Dutch oven; cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven, until nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and juices, clam juice, bay leaves, paprika, and saffron. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15 minutes.
Stir kale, salt, and black pepper into stew. Nestle clams, shrimp, squid, and mussels into stew. Cover and increase heat to medium-high; cook until mussels and clams open and shrimp and squid are just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Discard any closed clams or mussels. Serve with warm rolls.