Portuguese Tender Stewed Squid • Caldeirada de Lulas

Ahhh also known as “caldeirada de lulas”, this is a very typical Portuguese seafood dish, it’s a super simple recipe, you just need good ingredients, squid, flavorful spices and just let it slowly cook with the tomato, garlic, onions… it always comes out perfect… or should I say perfection! ;D

Traditionally, “caldeirada de lulas” was made by fishermen, who used the catch of the day to create a hearty and nourishing meal. Over time, the recipe has been refined and perfected, resulting in a dish that’s become an important part of Portuguese culinary culture. It’s a comfort food that’s enjoyed year-round, whether it’s on a chilly winter day or a warm summer evening.

This is one of those dishes that is surprisingly simple, but creates a really rich dish… perfect example of Mediterranean comforting food, perfectly tender ;D I served it with pasta but its traditionally served with white rice, but you can cook the stew with potatoes or serve with roasted veggies, pasta or even mashed potatoes, let’s check the recipe!

Portuguese Tender Stewed Squid • Caldeirada de Lulas

Servings: 4
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
Print

Portuguese squid stew is a delicious dish from Portugal, its basically squid slowly cooked over low heat with a hearty and flavorful tomato broth with spices, garlic, onions and herbs like parsley or cilantro.

Ingredients

Pasta – 220gr
Butter – 1 Teaspoon
Squid – 300gr (+/- 8 Small or 4 Large)
Onion – 1
Garlic – 3 cloves
Red Peppers – 1
Tomato Pulp – 150ml
Beer – 1 Small Beer (Mini Sagres Beer, Lager Beer)
Paprika – 1 teaspoon
Bay Leaf – 1
Parsley – A pinch
Olive Oil – A pinch
Pepper – A pinch
Salt – A pinch

Directions

Start by sautéing in a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil, add the onion and finely chopped garlic, and cook until the onion is nicely browned.
Then add the tomato pulp, the chopped red bell pepper, paprika, bay leaf, salt and pepper, cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked through.
Meanwhile, prepare the squid, you want these cleaned and sliced into round strips, then add to the pan with the beer, cook over medium low heat until the squid are tender, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.
For the pasta, add it to a small pan with hot water and a pinch of salt, let it cook until tender, then strain and season it with a teaspoon of butter.
When ready to serve, taste the sauce again and add a little chopped parsley (or cilantro), mix, and it is ready to be served with the rice, bon appétit.