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.

Method

To make the Lisbon paste:
1. Place peppers on char-grill and char all over.
2. Place in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. Stand for 10 minutes.
3. Remove cling wrap, cut capsicums/peppers into quarters and remove skin with a knife.
4. Blend with garlic in a food processor to form a paste.
5. Add olive oil with motor still running.
6. Season with salt.

To make the base stock:
1. Heat oil, onion, garlic and bay leaf over medium heat.
2. Add the Lisbon paste and saute.
3. Add the anchovies and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes.
5. Add wine, star anise and stock and cook a further 20 minutes.

To make the cataplana of seafood:
1. Place cataplana on burner (a saucepan with tight fitting lid is a good substitute)
2. Add olive oil, onions, garlic, Lisbon paste and potatoes, saute quickly.
3. Add fish, mussels, lobster and a ladle of base stock. Close it and partly cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add rest of seafood, cover with remaining stock and parsley, seal cataplana.
5. Cook for a further 4 minutes.


To serve
Open cataplana at the table to capture the aromas.