From DN Recipes by David Nagy · Food & Beverage

Cataplana (Portuguese Seafood Stew) for Two

Published

TIME 55 minutes.  Our cataplana hews to tradition by using the classic dish amêijoas na cataplana (clams in a cataplana) as a starting point. From there, we added fennel, red bell pepper, and clam juice to create a dish that would feel right at home in the Algarve. We cooked our version in a Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid to mimic the steamy cooking environment of a traditional copper cataplana pot. We added clams and shrimp at the very end of cooking, preserving their delicate textures and rendering them plump, juicy, and tender. We included clam juice in addition to wine to not only boost the seafood flavor but also ensure it had ample, flavorful broth to soak up with crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS
  • 8 ounces large shrimp, (21-25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and cut in half crosswise
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 ounces linguica sausage sliced ½ inch thick (option: hot Italian sausage, 1-2 lobster tails shelled and cut into 2 inch pieces, or 6 ounces extra shrimp)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced  (option: extra 1-2 cloves)
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika  (option: extra ¼ or ½ teaspoon)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
  • 1 small fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin lengthwise
  •   1 small red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole-peeled tomatoes, drained drained and chopped coarse
  • ½ cup bottled clam juice
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 1½ pounds littleneck or Manila clams (option: add ½ pound fresh mussels)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Lemon wedges to drizzle and serve

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Soak clams in a large bowl filled with ice and water for at least 15 minutes—this will help them release some of the sand in the shells. Then scrub and rinse under cold water.
  2. Peel, devein and cut shrimp and refrigerate until needed.
  3. Cut onion, fennel and bell pepper, blend together in a bowl and refrigerate until needed. Mince garlic and set aside separately.
  4. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add linguica/sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and fat is slightly rendered, about 4 minutes. If not using linguica/sausage, heat an extra tablespoon of oil and go to next step.
  5. Stir in garlic, paprika, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  6. Add onion-fennel-bell pepper mixture, ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
  7. Stir in tomatoes, clam juice, and wine. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
  8. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to boil. Stir in clams; cover and cook until clams have opened, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Turn heat OFF and stir in shrimp and lobster. Cover and let stand until shrimp and lobster are opaque and just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
  9. Stir in parsley, season with salt to taste, and serve, passing lemon wedges and extra sauce separately.