Cataplana "Canadian"

When my wife and I visited Portugal we were introduced to a delicious dish called Cataplana.  In Portugal various regions have their own versions of it.  One we enjoyed in the algarve was chicken, chorizo and clams.  Below I've substituted PEI mussels for the clams - hence the "canadian" bit.  If you want to make your own version with different seafood or different meats, feel free.  Just ensure you keep the smoked paprika and portugese style chorizo, as it isnt the same without those ingredients.

The term cataplana refers to the kind of pot it is cooked in.  A Cataplana pot looks kind of like a big fry pan with a lid that can be locked down - you can lock it and flip it over on the stove while cooking.   You can get away with cooking this in an ordinary pot with a lid.

1 tblsp olive oil
8 oz Chourico (portugese Chorizo), cut into chunky dice
3/4 lb diced chicken
2 medium onions, sliced
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 tsp smoked paprika
2 lbs PEI mussels, cleaned and prepared for cooking
pepper
3 tblsp chopped parsley


In a pot with a lid, add olive oil chicken and chorico and cook for 5 or 6 minutes over medium high until the sausage has released some of its oil and the chicken and sausage is beginning to brown.  Reduce heat to medium and add the onions and bay leaf, cooking till soft (5-7 min).  Add garlic and cook a min more.   add the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pot.  add the tomatoes, potatoes and the paprika.  Cover and let it cook for until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through.  Add the mussels and raise the heat to medium-high.  cover with a lid.  cook for about 7 minutes until the mussels open.  discard any mussels that do not open.  Season with pepper.

Ladle the result into bowls, eat with some really good bread to soak up the sauce.