thefoodlessprocessed

In a Portuguese fish stew, the fish is not usually slipped in at the last second to keep it rare or barely set. Fish, onions, tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, wine, and any other seasonings are cooked together so that all the flavours intermingle. Firmer fish like swordfish withstands slow simmering well.

This caldeirada includes a whole serrano chile. Initially, the stew will taste quite fiery. But as it cooks the chile heat mellows.

It is also a ‘dry’ stew–that is, the liquid simmers away, the olive oil separates slightly, and the tomatoes and onions become dark and concentrated.

The less processed ingredient options include: Swordfish, Tomatoes, Cilantro, Fruit, Olive Oil, and Vegetables.

Equipment

• a large Sauté Pan, for example, an enameled cast iron sauteuse with a black baked-on porcelain enamel interior. Pans with a white enameled interior will not brown the meat as well.
• a Lid for the Sauté Pan
• a Food Processor is convenient for finely chopping the vegetables for the marinade and sauce
• Cutting Board and Knife
• a Nonporous Bowl for marinating the fish, such as one of glazed earthenware, glass, or stainless steel
• a Liquid Measuring Cup
• a Large Mesh Strainer and Bowl
• a Plate

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 g) of Wild-Caught Swordfish (for 3 generous servings) or 2 pounds (about 900 g) for 6 servings: The amounts of all the other ingredients remain the same in either case.
• 3 cups (about 700 ml) of seeded Organic Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, finely chopped: Substitutes are Organic Romas, Heirlooms, Dry-Farmed or whatever variety looks best on a given day in the supermarket.
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Fresh Organic Cilantro/Coriander: lightly packed to the 1/4 (60 ml) marker in a liquid measuring cup and finely chopped, plus a few whole fresh leaves to add to the finished stew
• 1 Serrano Chile, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 or 4 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Medium Onion (about 5 oz or 140 g unpeeled), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of Fresh Lime Juice from Organic Fresh Limes
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, divided into two equal parts
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• about 1 cup (or 165 g) total of a combination of Organic Green and Red Peppers, seeded and diced, or substitute all of one colour
• 1 cup of Dry White Wine plus a little more if needed to reheat the stew before serving

Trimming the Fish and Making the Marinade

• Remove the skin and dark muscle line from the swordfish steak(s). Note: The muscle line has a stronger fish flavour than the surrounding steak and removing it is a matter of taste preference.

• Cut the steaks into cubes of about 1-inch (2 cm).
• In the nonporous bowl, mix together the finely chopped tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, onion, serrano chile, and the lime juice and some freshly ground black pepper. Add the cubes of swordfish and marinate them for 1 hour.

Making the Caldeirada

• Remove the cubes of swordfish to a plate.
• Place the mesh strainer over the bowl and strain the marinade, reserving both the solids and liquid.
• Heat 1/8 cup (30 ml) of the olive oil in the pan and add the swordfish.
• Sauté over medium heat until the cubes begin to lift easily from the bottom of the pan and crispy brown bits begin to form on one side. Turn the fish, add the diced peppers and continue to sauté on the second side until the cubes lift away easily and the peppers begin to soften and lightly brown at the edges. Transfer them to a plate.
• Add the second 1/8 cup (30 ml) of olive oil. Add the solids from the marinade and sauté, stirring only occasionally, to allow brown bits to develop over the bottom. Stir and allow more brown bits to form in the marinade. The marinade solids are cooking in the olive oil. An estimated cooking time is about 20 minutes.
• Add the swordfish, peppers and the wine.
• Simmer the stew, partially covered, over medium low heat until the olive oil begins to separate out from the solids, and the solids concentrate and darken. When stirred, the bottom of the pan will be slick with oil. The caldeirada itself will be moist, but not in a typical ‘wet’ stew sauce. A time estimation is 40 minutes.
• If the stew isn’t served right away, add a little more white wine to reheat it. Add a few fresh whole cilantro leaves to the caldeirada before serving.