Cataplana de Marisco

Name: Cataplana de Marisco
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Portugal
Ingredients: 1 lb clams, purged; 1 lb mussels, scrubbed; 1 lb shrimp, shell-on; 8 oz firm white fish, cubed; 1 chouriço sausage, sliced; 1 onion, sliced; 1 red bell pepper, sliced; 3 tomatoes, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 cup white wine; 1/4 cup olive oil; Fresh cilantro, chopped

4 servings25 min prep25 min cookMedium Portugal

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Cataplana de Marisco

Story updated September 17, 2026

Cataplana de Marisco takes its name from the hinged, clam-shaped copper pot it's cooked in, a vessel associated with Portugal's Algarve region. Some food historians see Moorish influence in the cataplana's design, drawing a line to tagine-style sealed cooking vessels from North Africa, though the dish itself is distinctly Algarve seafood cookery.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1 lb clams, purged
1 lb mussels, scrubbed
1 lb shrimp, shell-on
8 oz firm white fish, cubed
1 chouriço sausage, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic in olive oil until softened.
2Add chouriço and cook briefly to render some fat.
3Stir in tomatoes and white wine and simmer 10 minutes to build the base.
4Layer in fish, then clams, mussels, and shrimp on top.
5Cover tightly (traditionally in a cataplana pan) and cook until shellfish open and fish is cooked, about 10 minutes.
6Discard any unopened shellfish and finish with fresh cilantro before serving.

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