Caldeirada de PeixePortuguese Fish Stew
Caldeirada de peixe, the Portuguese fisherman's stew: layers of mixed fish, potatoes, onion, tomato and peppers cooked slowly in olive oil and white wine.
By Mesa de Portugal Kitchen · Updated
Caldeirada de peixe is Portugal's fish stew: different fish layered in a pot with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and peppers, then cooked slowly in olive oil and white wine. It began as the meal fishermen made on the beach from the part of the catch they couldn't sell, and every coastal town from Póvoa de Varzim to the Algarve has its own version.
Two rules make it caldeirada. Use at least three kinds of fish, mixing firm white fish with something richer. And never stir it: you shake the pot so the layers stay whole.
Caldeirada de PeixePortuguese Fish Stew
Caldeirada de peixe, the Portuguese fisherman's stew: layers of mixed fish, potatoes, onion, tomato and peppers cooked slowly in olive oil and white wine.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg mixed fish, cleaned and cut into thick slices on the bone (see note)
- 1 kg waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced 5 mm thick
- 2 large onions, sliced into rings
- 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
- 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sweet paprika (pimentão doce)
- 1 piri-piri chilli (optional)
- 150 ml olive oil
- 200 ml dry white wine
- 1 small bunch parsley, and coriander if you like, chopped
- Coarse salt
- Crusty bread or toasted slices of bread, to serve
Method
- Salt the fish lightly and leave for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
- Pour a third of the olive oil into a large, heavy pot. Make a layer of onion, then all the potatoes, seasoning with salt as you go.
- Add a layer of tomato and pepper, some garlic, half the herbs, a bay leaf and a pinch of paprika. Lay the firmest fish on top.
- Repeat with the rest of the onion, tomato, pepper, garlic and herbs, then the more delicate fish on top. Finish with a last layer of tomato and the chilli.
- Pour over the remaining olive oil and the wine. Cover tightly and bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 8 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and cook for 30–35 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Don't stir. Every 10 minutes, hold the pot by the handles and give it a firm shake.
- Check the seasoning by tasting the broth. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve in deep plates with plenty of the broth and bread to soak it up.
Notes
Tap ingredients and steps to tick them off. Scaling changes the quantities at the start of each line; check the rest by eye.
Which fish to use
Aim for a mix of firm, rich and flaky. Portuguese cooks use monkfish (tamboril), skate (raia), conger eel (safio or congro), hake (pescada), gurnard (ruivo) and, in some towns, sardines or mackerel. Cut everything on the bone, about 4 cm thick, because bones add flavour and keep the slices together. Our Portuguese seafood guide helps with names at the fish counter.
Regional versions
Nazaré and Peniche make it with lots of tomato and pepper. Sesimbra adds more chilli. Around Aveiro and the Tagus, caldeirada de enguias uses eels, and in the Algarve coriander often replaces parsley. Some cooks add a few clams or a splash of port. All are correct.
What to serve with it
Bread is the only must. Some places lay toasted bread in the bottom of each plate before ladling the stew over. Start with a salada de polvo, and for other seafood pots try arroz de marisco and cataplana de marisco.
Caldeirada de Peixe
kahl-day-RAH-da d' PAY-sh'
- o peixeoo PAY-sh'fish
- a batataa ba-TAH-tapotato
- o tomateoo too-MAH-t'tomato
- o pimentooo pee-MEN-toobell pepper
What you’ll need
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Lodge enamel cast iron dutch oven, 6 qt
A best seller for slow cooking: feijoada, arroz de pato broth and Sunday stews.
Tip: Enamelled, so no seasoning needed.
Portuguese hand-painted clay cooking pot
For rice dishes, feijoada and anything that goes from the oven straight to the table.
Tip: Check the listing for stovetop use. Many clay pots are oven-only or need a heat diffuser.
Authentic Portuguese Cooking (cookbook)
Over 185 classic recipes from mainland Portugal, the Azores and Madeira. A highly rated home-cooking reference.
Tip: Good for family recipes you remember but never wrote down.
Costa Nova Brisa stoneware bowl
Portuguese stoneware that's microwave- and dishwasher-safe. The right depth for caldo verde or açorda.
Tip: The Brisa range comes in several colours, so you can mix and match.
Frequently asked
Can I use fillets instead of fish on the bone?
Can I make caldeirada in a clay pot?
Can I make it ahead?
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