Copper Cataplana

What other magnificent piece of design is also capable of cooking the most delicious Mediterranean stews?

Humans did not invent the sea. Nor shrimp, nor garlic. Nor copper. But someone invented the Cataplana, a typically Portuguese cooking utensil that brought all of this together.

We speak in the past perfect and we want to tell you why. The copper cataplana is very difficult to find nowadays, facing serious possibilities of extinction. Why? Because it takes much longer to make than its aluminium or stainless steel alternatives, despite offering excellent heat conduction and having the appearance of a stunning design piece.

Nuno Palma is a copper artist from Feiteira, a small village in the parish of Cachopo (Algarve, Portugal), and one of the last people to make cataplanas in the old way - he is a rare case of a young person rescuing traditional artisanal techniques from disappearing.

He himself cuts the sheets of bright pink-orange metal and then softens the material in the fire. The hammer shapes and hardens the sheet, which begins to resemble the beautiful cataplana it is destined to be. Palma rubs it with sand to remove impurities, perfects it with several rounds of hammering, and gives it the final polish.

Then, it is up to us to cook traditional Mediterranean food over a slow flame for long hours, condensing flavours, aromas, and love.

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