Pork and seafood cataplana

Pork and seafood cataplana is my go-to "wow" dish when I want comfort food without spending the whole afternoon in the kitchen. I discovered it while traveling, served in that famous copper pot shaped like a seashell. At home, I make it in a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid: it captures the same essence, that slow-cooked method that locks in all the flavors.

What I love is the combination of pork and shellfish: the pork brings a rich, melt-in-your-mouth quality, and the seafood adds a briny flavor that brightens the sauce. The base is simple and classic: onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomato, white wine, bay leaf, and paprika. Then, you layer everything, cover, and let it cook. The secret is not to stir too much: you want to keep the shellfish intact and the sauce well-bound.

As for seasonality, I like to add potatoes and bell peppers (and sometimes a bit of ripe tomato). It's traditional, filling, and soaks up the sauce perfectly. Nutritionally, you have a complete meal: protein (pork + seafood), iodine and selenium (thanks to the shellfish), and vitamins from the tomatoes and bell peppers.

You can easily adapt it: make it more or less spicy with piri-piri, more herbaceous with coriander/parsley, and depending on what you find at the fishmonger's (but without changing the essence: pork + clams + shrimp is the signature). Serve with crusty bread: it's non-negotiable, the sauce deserves to be mopped up to the last drop.

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Pork and seafood cataplana

Recipe by Nathalie Laplace

5.0 based on 1 vote(s)

Type of dish: main courseKitchen: FrenchDifficulty: average

Portions

4

portions

Preparation time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A Portuguese surf and turf stew: golden pork, clams, shrimp, and mussels in a fragrant tomato and white wine sauce. Everything is cooked slowly to retain the juices, with tender potatoes and a final touch of coriander and lemon.

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Ingredients

• 500g of pork loin, cut into 3cm cubes

• 400g of clams, purged of blood

• 300g mussels , scrubbed and rinsed

• 250g of raw shrimp (with or without heads), peeled but leaving the tail on

• 300g rounds of potatoes, sliced ​​into 5mm

• 1 Red bell pepper, sliced

• 1 onion, sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 200g crushed tomatoes (or tomato pulp)

• 12 cl of dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika

• 1 a small pinch of chili pepper (piri-piri type) (optional but traditional)

• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

• 1/2 tsp lemon (finely grated zest + juice)

• 1 small bunch of fresh coriander (or flat-leaf parsley), chopped

• Fine salt, black pepper

Instructions

• Purify the clams: soak them in well-salted cold water (like seawater) for 30 minutes, stir once, then rinse. Meanwhile, scrub and rinse the mussels. Keep everything chilled.
• In a large casserole dish (or a cataplana if you have one), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Lightly salt the pork, then sear it for 4 to 5 minutes until well browned. Remove it to a plate.
• In the same pot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and bell pepper, season lightly with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika, and stir for 30 seconds (just long enough to infuse the flavors without burning).
• Deglaze with white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, and chili pepper. Season with pepper. Return the pork and its juices to the pan.
• Add the potato slices, sliding them into the sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes over low-medium heat: the sauce should simmer, not boil vigorously.
• Add the clams and mussels. Cover immediately and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until most have opened. Shake the pot once or twice (no need to stir with a spoon).
• Add the shrimp, cover and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes: they should just turn pink and remain juicy.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the salt (be careful: shellfish are naturally salty). Off the heat, add the zest, a good squeeze of lemon juice, and the chopped cilantro. Serve immediately, with bread or white rice if you like.

📊 Nutritional Information

1 serving (approx. 520g)

* RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

📝 Notes

If you're using a traditional cataplana, seal it tightly and cook over low heat: the steam will do all the work. If using a casserole dish, choose a heavy lid to maintain the steamed effect.

💡 Chef's Tips

For a truly clean sauce: always remove any shellfish that remain closed after cooking. And keep the heat moderate: boiling too vigorously will toughen the pork and make the shrimp rubbery.

🔄 Variations

• Herbs: replace the coriander with flat-leaf parsley if you're not a fan (it's still very classic).
• Texture: if you like a thicker sauce, crush 3-4 potato slices against the side at the end of cooking, then shake the pot.

Nathalie Laplace

Food writer for the Simple & Bon website. Passionate about healthy cooking and especially salads, slow-cooked or oven-baked recipes.