A traditional Portuguese dish
This fish stew, known as caldeirada de peixe, can be found in restaurants and homes throughout Portugal. Many Portuguese restaurants outside of Portugal also offer this delicious traditional dish–which is a lucky thing for me and all those who long for that taste of back home goodness.
Our version of Caldeirada de Peixe
This version of the dish is one of my mom’s recipes. It’s actually not in the notebook of recipes she wrote for me (which we lovingly refer to as our book of traditions). Instead, this one was explained to me during a phone conversation we had. I was recounting a memory of our recent trip to mainland Portugal (last fall) and this meal we had while staying with my cousin in the northern region of Portugal. She began to share her version of the recipe with me so that I could recreate it at home.
It turned out just as I remembered from my youth–very similar to my cousin’s version. I absolutely loved it. The fish came out flaky and delicious. And the broth…don’t even get me started. I could dunk a whole loaf of bread in this broth… it’s that good!
Variations by region
Every region of Portugal, including every island, has its own variation of this stew. While you might find variations in what spices, types of fish and even what sides are used from one place to another, I doubt I could find a fish stew I wouldn’t like.
In a nutshell, Caldeirada de peixe is fresh quality fish, slow cooked in a delicious broth. Some recipes use veggies, or include white potatoes. Some have a thicker broth while others may be thinner; or they use more or less wine than I used. And then there’s the star ingredient–the fish–but even here you have a wide variety of fish that you can choose to use. In the end, the fish stew will be similar, but it’s nice to know that you can play around with ingredients to make it your own. It’s not like baking a cake; you don’t have to be too precise.
What kind of fish can I use for Portuguese fish stew?
You can typically use any quality white fish that holds well (doesn’t fall apart easily) while cooking. We used grouper, but conger or fresh cod would also be great options. Quite often, this dish is made with a variety of fish which adds to the stew’s flavour.
What inspired today’s recipe?
I mentioned earlier that I had been sharing, with my mom, my highlights from our family’s recent trip to continental Portugal. While there we were fortunate to stay, for a few days, with a cousin of mine and his family in his wife’s 200+ year old family home in Viana do Castelo, which is the northern part of the country.
We were so lucky to see lots of sites in the northern region. We stood on the steps of a church at the top of a mountain, climbed the 125 steps (Liz counted) to visit Portugal’s oldest university (Coimbra), we wet our feet in the chilly ocean waters on the coast, and we crossed a 2000+ year old bridge that was built before Portugal was Portugal; just to name a few things. It was amazing.
We were so impressed by the sites we saw, and genuinely loved hanging out with my cousin and his family. During our stay, my cousin received a care-package of fresh fish caught by his brother-in-law, across the ocean, from the Azores Islands.
While we went out for a day of site-seeing, his mother-in-law stayed back and decided what to do with the fish. To my delight, when we returned, we were treated to this delicious caldeirada de peixe. His mother-in-law is from continental Portugal, but she’d visited the islands a few times and had learned our version of this fish stew, and so she prepared the fish in a similar fashion to the version she’d had in Pico. It was so good!
I still talk about it to this day (seriously, you can ask Liz). That day, I made a mental note to call my mom and get her recipe so I could enjoy this at home. I’m glad I finally got around to it, and I’m proud of how it turned out. I’ll have to make this again very soon–I won’t let another 8 months go by before then.
Think about a dish you grew up with, or one that you discovered during a vacation; and then make the dish at home and share your memories around the dinner table. It’s amazing how good that can feel. Wherever those memories take you, we hope you make today yummy!
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 lbs fresh grouper cut in steaks (feel free to use another favourite white fish like conger or cod)
- 1 large cooking onion sliced thin
- 5 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 1 tbsp kosher salt 1/2 tbsp if using fine salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 medium tomatoes sliced into thin wheels
- 1 large bell pepper sliced into thin wheels
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 sprigs of fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley with most of the stem cut off
In a measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the wine, tomato paste and 1 tsp paprika, until well combined.
Pour the olive oil into the bottom of a large dutch oven or heavy pot.
Spread half of the sliced onions and garlic evenly over the oil and bottom of the pot.
Place half of the fish steaks over the onions and garlic, in one layer.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the salt, cumin and cinnamon evenly over the fish.
Place the tomato and pepper sliced wheels evenly over the fish.
Spread the remaining half of the sliced onions and garlic evenly over the tomato and pepper slices.
Place the remaining half of the fish steaks over the onions and garlic, in one layer.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the salt, cumin and cinnamon evenly over the fish.
Place the remaining tomato and pepper sliced wheels evenly over the fish.
Sprinkle the remaining salt, cumin and cinnamon over the tomatoes and peppers.
Add the two bay leaves.
Pour the wine mixture over the ingredients in the pot.
Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat up to medium high.
Once the liquid starts to bubble, cover the pot with the lid and reduce the heat to low.
Let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the fish starts to flake.
Turn off the heat, uncover the pot, and add the sprigs of fresh parsley over the cooked ingredients.
Serve hot with steamed/boiled potatoes, rice or a green salad… and a good cup of red wine 🙂
The wine mixture may not seem like it’s enough. Trust us, it is. The liquid increases as the fish cooks, adding to the wonderful sauce.
Has anyone made this with chicken or fish stock? We’re an alcohol free house. Even though it does cook out we don’t purchase or have any in our home. I’d love to make this and am curious if it would be good with the substitutions?
Hi Amanda, thanks so much for connecting. I haven’t done it myself, but I would totally try this with stock. I’m pretty sure it would work just fine. Please let us know if you try it. That would be great information for our readers if you don’t mind sharing your experience. Happy cooking.