Ingredients for 7-8 servings

• 600-700g fish – a mix of white oily fish (such as halibut or swordfish) and white lean fish (such as cod, monkfish, hake, flounder or haddock)
• 2 big handfuls of clams and mussels, well scrubbed. Please, don’t use any open or damaged ones
• 500g shrimps with their shells on
• 500g squid or cuttlefish (optional)
• 500g tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper
• 3-4 potatoes
• 1 large sweet potato (optional)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped
• 3-4 bay leaves
• Freshly ground pepper, salt
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• 1 dried chilli pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 200ml dry white wine
• 400-450ml fish stock
• 100ml olive oil

Preparation

1. First, we will prepare tomatoes for the sauce: cut stems from the tomatoes, then cut the tomatoes in half from stem to bottom and grate the meat side of the tomato using a vegetable grater.

2. Peel and cut potatoes, chop onion and garlic and cut bell pepper into pieces.

3. Devein shrimps: open the shell along the back of the shrimp with a knife or scissors, and remove the vein. Sauté shrimps in an oiled pan until they become pink, and set aside.

4. Remove innards, bone and skin of the squid or cuttlefish. Cut the squid in rings of 1cm thick. Using a sharp knife, score shallow diagonal cuts in a crisscross pattern on the inside surface of the cuttlefish (not on the skin side).

5. Stir-fry the onion and garlic in a large oiled pan until pale gold, 7-8 minutes. Then, put the bay leaves, paprika powder and chilli pepper into the pan. Add the peeled tomatoes, white wine, fish stock, chopped parsley, bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste and stir-fry for 10 minutes. If the tomatoes are sour, you can add sugar to taste. The sauce for Caldeirada is ready.

6. There are two ways to prepare Caldeirada – a) in a large frying pan on a stove or b) in a clay pot in an oven.

a) If you use the stove, put the sliced potatoes in the pan with the sauce prepared in step 5, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes with the lid fully closed. Then, add the cuttlefish, squid, mussels, clams and grilled shrimps, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shells open. Shake the pan occasionally. Please, don’t stir, as the fish might fall apart. Discard any mussels or clams that fail to open.

b) If you use the oven, put the fish on the bottom of the clay pot, cover with the sauce and add the precooked potatoes cut in round pieces. Place the pot into a hot oven (180 degrees) for about 10 minutes. Then, take the pot from the oven and add the cuttlefish, squid, mussels, clams and grilled shrimps. Cover the pot with aluminium foil and put back in the oven for another 8-9 minutes, until the mussels and clams are open. Please, discard any mussels or clams that fail to open.

7. Put the chopped cilantro on top, and your Caldeirada is ready to serve. Enjoy!