Caldeirada

Caldeirada is layers of white fish simmered slowly with potato, tomato and onion in a shallow pot. It is a fisherman's stew built to cook everything in the catch at once, using whatever mix of fish came off the boat that day rather than a single named species.

What it really is

Firm white fish, potato slices, tomato and onion go into a wide, shallow pot in layers rather than all mixed together, covered with a little wine and left to simmer without stirring so each layer cooks in the juices rising from the ones below it. The pot cooks slowly and gently, since fish falls apart under any real agitation, and the finished stew stays layered and structured rather than reducing into a smooth sauce.

The layering, not stirring, is the whole technique. Stirring a caldeirada breaks the fish into shreds almost immediately; letting the layers simmer undisturbed is what keeps each piece whole by the time it reaches the plate.

How it is served

• Straight from the pot it cooked in, layers still roughly intact.
• With crusty bread to soak up the broth.
• As a main course, a full meal built around whatever fish was fresh that day.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the fish and the sulphites in the wine.
• Say which fish is used, since caldeirada genuinely varies by catch and by coast.
• Note that it's cooked gently and layered rather than stirred, since that's a real part of what keeps the fish intact.