Cataplana de Marisco

Start by prepping the ingredients for this cataplana de marisco algarve seafood dish. Check the clams, discard any damaged or those that don’t close when tapped, scrub thoroughly with a brush, and rinse in cold water in a colander.

Peel the prawns (you can leave the tails on for presentation) and remove the vein if needed. Clean the squid and cut into rings.

Slice the onion into half-moons, the garlic into thin slices, the pepper into strips, and chop the tomatoes into large cubes.

Roughly chop the parsley and cut the lemon into wedges for serving.

In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil, add the onion and sauté over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until translucent.

Add the garlic, sweet paprika, and chopped chili pepper, stir, and cook for about 30 seconds to release the flavors.

Stir in the pepper and tomatoes, add the bay leaf, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables soften and release some juice.

Pour in the white wine, raise the heat, and cook for 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Then add water and mix.

Add the squid and prawns, season with salt, stir briefly, then arrange the cleaned clams on top, cover, and simmer for 6-8 minutes until the clams open.

Remove from the heat, discard any unopened clams, season with ground black pepper and more salt if needed, and stir in the chopped parsley.

Divide the cataplana into deep bowls, add a wedge of lemon, and serve with crusty baguette to dip in the seafood juices.