Cataplana of seafood

Ingredients
For the Lisbon paste

• 6 red peppers
• ½pt/1 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic
• salt to taste

For the base stock

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 anchovies
• 2 cooking tomatoes
• 200ml/7fl oz dry white wine mixed with 2.5ml/½ tsp of saffron strands
• 100ml/3½fl oz fish stock
• 1 star anise

For the cataplana of seafood

• ¼pt/½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium cooked potato - peeled and sliced finely
• ½ small onion, sliced finely
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Lisbon paste
• 2 jew, cobia or mackerel cutlets or snapper or jew fillet
• 4 small cuttlefish or squid - opened
• ½ lobster cut in half lengthways
• 4 green king prawns - shelled and deveined
• 4 live black mussels - cleaned
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley - torn 
• about 1pt/2 cups base stock

Note: This recipe originally uses Australian measurements. Equivalent measurements are as accurate as possible.

Preparation method

1. To make the Lisbon paste, place the peppers into a hot char-gril panl and char all over.
2. Place in a bowl and cover with cling film and set aside for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the cling film, cut the peppers into quarters and remove the skin with a knife.
4. Blend the peppers with garlic in a food processor to form a paste.
5. Add the olive oil with the motor still running.
6. Season, to taste, with salt.
7. To make the base stock, heat the oil, onion, garlic and bay leaf over medium heat.
8. Add the Lisbon paste and sauté.
9. Add the anchovies and sauté for 1 minute.
10. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes.
11. Add wine, star anise and stock and cook a further 20 minutes.
12. To make the cataplana of seafood, heat a cataplana (a saucepan with tight fitting lid is a good substitute).
13. Fry the olive oil, onions, garlic, Lisbon paste and potatoes. Add the fish, mussels, lobster and a ladle of base stock. Close it and partly cook for 2 minutes.
14. Add the rest of the seafood, cover with the remaining stock and parsley, re-cover with the lid and cook for a further 4 minutes.
15. To serve, open the cataplana at the table to capture the aromas.

bbc.co.uk