Albufeira is promising to present the biggest cataplana in the world which everyone will be able to taste at the Classic Weekend event that will be taking place at the local marina between September 14 and 16.
For those who might not know, cataplanas are traditional clam-shaped pots used in the Algarve to cook delicious stews.
They are usually the size of a large bowl, but for the Classic Weekend event, the cataplana will be unlike any the world has ever seen.
It will weigh over 500 kilos and be nearly two metres high and four metres in diameter, with a capacity to cook one ton and 300 kilos of food at a time.
“Nobody has ever done this. It will be a record,” the event’s coordinator José Garrido told Evasões website. The cataplana was ‘hand-built’ by several men for many weeks especially for the event, he explained.
A local chef will be responsible for cooking the food with the help of several other people. Around 355 kilos of pork, 267 kilos of clams, 76 kilos of shrimp, 88 litres of wine, 89 kilos of onion and 45 kilos of green and red peppers, as well as other staple ingredients like tomato and garlic, will be used to cook the cataplana.
The preparation of the cataplana will begin at around 6.30pm on Saturday, September 15 with plans to start serving guests at around 8pm.
Organisers expect to serve around 2,000 portions during the event.
Anyone can try the cataplana by purchasing a €5 voucher which also includes a drink. All proceeds from the cataplana will go to the local fire station.
The ‘Classic Weekend’ will also feature a long list of entertainment from concerts and parades with classic cars and Harley Davidson motorbikes to art exhibitions, visits to the Boa Esperança replica caravel, an exhibition of classic firefighting vehicles from Albufeira and more.
Admission to the event is free.
