Can I make cataplana without a copper pan?

Yes. Any heavy pot with a tight lid works. The flavour is the sauce and seafood, not the metal alone.

Firm white fish that holds chunks — sea bream, sea bass, or cod. Avoid very delicate flakes that fall apart.

Portuguese · Portugal

Portuguese Seafood Cataplana (Cataplana de Marisco)

Name: Portuguese Seafood Cataplana (Cataplana de Marisco)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 400 g Firm white fish fillets (e.g. sea bream / sea bass), chunked; 300 g Large prawns, peeled (tails on optional); 500 g Clams or mussels, scrubbed; 1 large Onion, thinly sliced; 1 each Red and green peppers, sliced; 4 Garlic cloves, sliced; 400 g Ripe tomatoes, chopped (or good tinned); 150 ml Dry white wine; 3 tbsp Olive oil; to taste Bay leaf, paprika, salt, pepper; a handful Fresh coriander or parsley; to serve Crusty bread

A sealed copper pot of clams, prawns, and fish — Portugal’s sociable shellfish classic.

Prep

25 min

Cook

30 min

Servings

Difficulty

Medium

Cataplana is Portuguese coastal theatre: seafood steams in a hinged copper pot with peppers, onion, garlic, tomato, and white wine. The lid traps aroma until you open it at the table.

No copper pot? Use a heavy casserole with a tight lid. Then compare restaurant marisqueiras on our Lisbon and Portugal directory pages.

Method

1
Build the base
Warm olive oil in the cataplana or casserole. Soften onion, peppers, and garlic 8–10 minutes. Add tomato, bay, paprika, salt, and pepper; cook 5 minutes until saucy.
2
Layer the seafood
Nestle fish chunks and prawns into the sauce. Scatter clams or mussels on top. Pour over the wine.
3
Seal and steam
Cover tightly and cook over medium heat 12–15 minutes until shells open and fish is just opaque. Discard any shells that stay shut.
4
Finish and serve
Rest 2 minutes off heat. Scatter herbs and serve from the pot with bread for the juices.

Chef tips

Do not overcrowd — a single layer of shells opens more evenly.
Keep the lid sealed while cooking so the steam does the work.
Confirm shellfish prices by weight when ordering the restaurant version.

Mussels species guide →

Dine out

Want the restaurant version in Lisbon? See seafood restaurants in Lisbon · Portugal

FAQ — Portuguese Seafood Cataplana (Cataplana de Marisco)

Can I make cataplana without a copper pan?: Yes. Any heavy pot with a tight lid works. The flavour is the sauce and seafood, not the metal alone.
What fish is best?: Firm white fish that holds chunks — sea bream, sea bass, or cod. Avoid very delicate flakes that fall apart.

← All fish recipes

Method

Build the base

Layer the seafood

Seal and steam

Finish and serve

Chef tips

FAQ — Portuguese Seafood Cataplana (Cataplana de Marisco)