Recipe

A traditional seafood dish from the Algarve region of Portugal, cooked in a special copper pot called a "Cataplana" that seals in steam, preserving the fresh sweetness of the seafood. The Geedel vegetable chopper helps quickly prepare the sofrito vegetable base, making this festive dish easy to recreate at home.  

Ingredients:

Seafood Mix:

400g cod fillets (cut into chunks)

200g large shrimp (peeled and deveined)

200g clams

150g octopus rings

Sofrito Base:

1 onion

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

2 tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

Flavorings:

½ cup white wine

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp smoked paprika (pimentón)

Liquid:

½ cup fish stock

Essentials:

Olive oil, salt, black pepper

To Serve:

Grilled rustic bread

Detailed Steps:

1.  Prepare the Sofrito Base (using Geedel):

    Wash and roughly chop all the vegetables. Using the manual food chopper fitted with the dicing blade, finely dice the onion and bell peppers separately. Then process the tomatoes and garlic into fine dice as well. This sofrito base is the soul of Portuguese seafood dishes.

2.  Prepare the Seafood:  

    Lightly salt the cod chunks and let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Soak the clams in salted water to purge sand. If using fresh octopus rings, boil them first for about 30 minutes until tender.

3.  Layer and Assemble:  

    In a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid (or a Dutch oven), sauté the prepared sofrito base in olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes until softened. Add the bay leaf and smoked paprika. Layer the ingredients in this order: octopus rings, cod chunks, shrimp, and finally the clams on top. Pour in the white wine and fish stock.

4.  Seal and Cook:  

    Cover the pot tightly to ensure it's well-sealed. Cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, until the clams have all opened and the seafood is cooked through. (Do not open the lid to check, as this releases the essential steam.)

5.  Finish:  

    Remove from heat, open the lid, and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately while piping hot.

6.  To Serve:

    Bring the pot directly to the table. Serve with grilled rustic bread for dipping into the flavorful broth. The sealed cooking method perfectly locks in the natural juices of the seafood—every bite tastes of the Atlantic.

Summary:  

This Portuguese classic is made accessible by using the Geedel vegetable chopper to quickly prepare the complex sofrito base. The sealed cooking technique maximizes the natural flavors of the ingredients, making it a perfect way to showcase the quality of fresh seafood.