Viva caldeirada!

The moment I tasted caldeirada, I knew this Portuguese fish stew was going to be a regular on our table. It was featured in the Reykjavik episode of Ainsley Eats the Streets, using ingredients that I could source locally. It also looked delicious for something so easy, like the stir-fried scallops that was inspired by a dish Chef Harriott made in the Taipei episode.

For my stew I used tanguigue (Spanish mackerel) fillet, shrimp, squid, and mussels (no scallops that day). For the wine component, mirin since I didn’t have white. And instead of saffron, turmeric. The parents were impressed, their only complaint that there weren’t enough mussels, so I made another batch for dinner, and in my rush to catch the waning light (for the photo session, of course), I forgot two ingredients. If you’ve read the last post you should be able to guess what one of them was (the other being potato).

Having compared two instances of the dish so soon after each other, I can definitely say that clarified butter is crucial to the stew. The one without just didn’t come together as nicely as the one with. May kulang, ’ika nga. As for saffron versus turmeric, it’s not even a close contest; let us just say that turmeric has its own charm, especially when you consider the difference in price (using saffron would have increased the cost of the dish four-fold).

The potatoes? Not exactly de rigueur (or classy), I learn from the wiki. But if you must have some, fry them with clarified butter, then add the used butter to the stew. That way it’s put to maximum use.

In the same episode, the chef asked a local why Icelanders do not seem to take advantage of fresh seafood when they have so much of it. He might as well have asked the same of a Pinoy at Jollibee. At least the native had the sense to invoke tradition, then took the chef to sample rancid whale meat and shark marinated in urine. That put him in his place.

Where would you take him, kababayan? A week ago my friends and I were exiting the market when they saw a kwek-kwek stand. Taking my cue from the show, I gamely tried the stuff for the first time. How I wish it were vile so I could have derided it. But it was only hard-boiled egg fried in nuclear-orange batter and doused with sweet-and-sour sauce. Now I’ve looked it up, that was not even kwek-kwek I ate but a variation called tokneneng — the egg was from chicken, not quail. Better that than tuslob buwâ, I guess. If it were me I would take him to Eva’s for ginamós tugnos (fermented fish fry) sautéed with lots of onion and tomato, then paired with boiled unripe sabá banana. That’s almost enough to take my mind off caldeirada, but not quite. Can you tell I’m in love?

Portuguese Fish Stew

Also called caldeirada de peixe, this dish should be made from fresh catch. Any fish (or a combination thereof) will do. You can substitute clams for mussels, or put in more mussels than the recipe calls for if you take into account that your stew will be saltier (and in some cases, more bitter).

• 300 grams tanguigue (mackerel) fillets
• 150 grams shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 100 grams mussels
• 150 grams squid, sliced, ink sac removed


• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed


• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white wine or mirin
• ¼ cup fish or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon powdered paprika
• 1 teaspoon powdered turmeric


• ground black pepper
• salt, as needed
• chopped parsley, cilantro, or basil, to garnish

1. Boil potato cubes in some water until tender but not mushy. Drain, then fry in clarified butter until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add oil to the clarified butter. Sauté onion until opaque, then stir in bell pepper. After 30 seconds, add vinegar and leave to simmer for a minute before adding wine. Leave for another 30 seconds, then add stock, paprika, and turmeric. Stir to mix, add mussels, and cover pan. After shells open, pick them out of the pan and set aside.
3. Add fish slices to pan, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in shrimps and sliced squid. Replace cover until everything is cooked. Check for taste and add salt if needed. Season with black pepper.
4. Transfer dish onto plate with reserved mussels and potatoes. Garnish with chopped parsley, cilantro, or basil. Serve hot.