Portuguese Fish Stew Caldeirada

Portuguese Fish Stew {Caldeirada}

Adapted from Lisboeta by Nuna Mendes, published by Bloomsbury $49.99

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

• Fat pinch of saffron
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced (one garlic clove, halved)
• 300g/10.6ozs. potato, sliced very, very, very thinly
• 50g/1.7ozs. butter, cubed, divided in two
• 1 large onion, sliced very thinly
• 1 medium bulb fennel, sliced very thinly
• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes (or 5 Roma or plum tomatoes)
• 500g/1.1lb fish fillets (a variety)
• 150ml/5flozs. white wine
• Salt, pepper and smoked paprika
• Extra virgin olive oil

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Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Soak the saffron in the water. Rub the base of your pot with the halved garlic clove. Then line with half of the potato and top with half of the butter and season with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Then add half the onion, garlic, half the fennel and half of the tomatoes seasoning with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.

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Step 2 - Add the fish fillets and a layer of onion, potato, garlic, fennel and tomatoes and more salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Dot with the rest of the butter, drizzle with olive oil. Mix the saffron water and threads with the wine and pour over. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.