Caldeirada de Enguias

Name: Caldeirada de Enguias
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 1 kg Eel, cleaned and cut into 4–5 cm chunks; 700g Potatoes, medium, peeled and sliced 1 cm thick; 2 medium Onions, sliced; 400g Tomato, ripe, chopped; 1 Green Bell Peppers, sliced; 4 cloves of Garlic, sliced; 2 leaves of Bay Leaf; 2 tsp Sweet Paprika; 1 small Red Chili, fresh, chopped; or 1/2 tsp chili flakes; 150ml White Wine, dry; 250ml Fish Stock, or water; 60ml Olive Oil; 1 small bunch of Coriander, fresh, roughly chopped; (cilantro); 1 1/2 tsp Sea Salt, fine; to taste; 1/2 tsp Pepper (Black), freshly ground

Caldeirada de Enguias is a fragrant Portuguese eel stew where tender pieces of eel simmer with potatoes, tomatoes and peppers in a smoky, paprika-scented broth. Rustic and comforting, it’s brightened with white wine and fresh coriander for a cozy, seaside-style meal.

Caldeirada de Enguias is a fragrant Portuguese eel stew where tender pieces of eel simmer with potatoes, tomatoes and peppers in a... Show more

Traditional Portuguese Recipe

Health Grade

S · Outstanding

Time

1 hr10 min

Price

2,96 €

Calories

650 kcal

healthy

nutritious

one pot

gluten free

Method

Wash everything

Rinse the potatoes, tomatoes, green bell pepper, red chili, and coriander under cold water. Pat the eel dry with paper towels, and if it has not already been cleaned and portioned, have your fishmonger do that or clean it carefully before you start cooking.

Prep the ingredients

Peel and slice the onions into half-moons. Peel the garlic and slice it thinly. Slice the washed potatoes into 1 cm-thick rounds, chop the tomatoes, slice the green bell pepper, finely chop the red chili, roughly chop the coriander, and cut the eel into 4–5 cm chunks if needed.

Heat the pot

Set a large wide heavy pot with a lid over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. Let it warm for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the oil looks loose and glossy.

Cook the base

Add the onions, green bell pepper, garlic, and tomatoes to the pot along with the bay leaves, sweet paprika, chopped chili, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are soft, the tomatoes have broken down, and the mixture smells sweet and savory rather than raw.

Add potatoes and eel

Tuck in the potato slices and eel pieces, turning them gently through the tomato mixture so everything gets coated. Pour in the white wine and fish stock, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, then bring the stew just up to a gentle simmer.

Simmer gently

Cover the pot and let the stew simmer very gently for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender and the eel is just cooked through and beginning to pull from the bone. Give the pot a gentle shake once in a while instead of stirring hard, so the eel stays in nice pieces.

Rest and finish

Take the pot off the heat and stir in most of the coriander. Taste the broth and add a little more sea salt or black pepper if needed, then let the stew rest for 5 minutes so the flavors settle and the broth thickens slightly.

Serve the stew

Remove the bay leaves if you spot them, then ladle the caldeirada into shallow bowls, making sure each portion gets eel, potatoes, vegetables, and plenty of broth. Scatter over the remaining coriander and serve right away while it is hot.