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Cataplana

The Cataplana
Cockle and Pork Cataplana as featured in the Dish Magazine June-July 2011 
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Cataplana for 2-4 people

Ingredients

200g firm white fish	2 cloves garlic
500g mussels (shell on) or available fresh shellfish	1 bay leaf
100g fresh prawns (shell on)	½ tsp paprika or a pinch of saffron
100g finely chopped bacon, ham or chorizo	½ cup white wine or stock
100g calamari rings	1 small onion or 3 shallots
200g cooked cannelli beans	Glug of olive oil
2 fresh tomatoes	Handful of fresh coriander or parsley
½ green capsicum	Pepper and sea salt to taste
1 fresh red chilli (opt)

Preparation

Cut the fish into chunks and combine with crushed garlic, paprika, pepper and sea salt. Set aside.

Chop onion into thin half moon slices, de-seed and dice fresh tomato and capsicum.

Place the open Cataplana on the stove on a medium heat, add oil and sauté onions until transparent.

Add bay leaf, tomato, chilli, capsicum and white wine (or stock) and cook for 5 minutes.

Add fish, prawns, finely diced meats and beans. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander or parsley.

Close the lid of the Cataplana and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

Serve with boiled rice and lemon wedges.

 

Cataplana for 4-6 people

Ingredients

Two small free range chickens cut into small pieces (eight pieces per schicken)	200 ml red wine
1.5k fresh shellfish (cockles or mussels)	200ml good olive oil
4 cloves garlic	1 large red chilli
A bay leaf	Handful chopped fresh parsley
Zest of 1 fresh lemon	Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Toss the chicken pieces with the lemon zest and salt and pepper.

Place the Cataplana on medium heat on the stove top.

Add oil to open Cataplana, brown the chicken, garlic and bay leaf.

Add the ½ the wine and simmer for 10-15 minutes so the sauce thickens and reduces.

Pour in the remaining wine and finely chopped chilli, stir until well combined.

Add the washed and clean shellfish and fresh parsley.

Close the Cataplana and leave on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until shell fish have opened.

Serve at the table with freshly steamed organic potatoes or a good quality short grain rice and fresh salad.

Cooking fresh vegetables in your Cataplana

Because the Cataplana heats so quickly and seals when closed, it’s perfect for cooking fresh vegetable, keeping the flavour and nutrients and using very little apart from the goodness in the vegetables themselves.

Use any fresh organic vegetables that are in season.

Heat a little good olive oil in the Cataplana. Sauté some garlic or shallots until transparent – add some lemon zest and salt and pepper.

Layer your prepared vegetables on top of the garlic. Place the denser ones first eg, root vegetables, leeks or asparagus or beans, then leafy greens and herbs.

You can add a little water, stock or wine, about a table spoon. If you are mainly cooking leafy greens that have been washed there will be enough liquid for them to steam in their own juices.

Vegetables will only take from 5-10 minutes to cook.

Experiment and find your favourite combinations – delicious for lunches, accompaniments to dinners anywhere.

Cataplana de Pescador (Fisherman’s Cataplana)

This will cater for 6-8 people. Use a large Cataplana

Ingredients

1kg clean rinsed shellfish (clams, mussels, cockles, pipis, tua tua in shell)	4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1kg Monk fish or another firm fleshed fish, cut into chunks	2 medium onions finely chopped
2 large harpuka or salmon steaks, cut into strips	2 tbsp Olive oil
8 tiger prawns in the shell	100g butter
250g chopped spicy sausage	Handful freshly chopped parsley
1 Tbsp paprika	½ tbsp flour
½ cup dry white wine	1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 lemon halved	Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large Cataplana, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until lightly browned.

Add half the clams, half the fish, half the prawns, half the spicy sausage, and half the tomatoes.

Season with half the salt and pepper, chilli, and paprika.

Repeat with a second layer.

Mix the flour with the wine and vinegar and pour over the layers.

Clamp the cover on tightly and cook at a slow simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice and serve with warm crusty bread and butter and a fresh garden salad.

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