Suquet de Peix

Suquet de Peix (Catalan Fish and Potato Stew)

A coastal Catalan stew of firm white fish, prawns and potatoes in a tomato-rich broth, thickened with ground almonds and finished with a classic picada. Served with toasted bread and, traditionally, aïoli.

Prep

30 min

Cook

45 min

Total

75 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1⅓ lb) firm white fish fillets (hake, monkfish, or sea bass), cut into large chunks; skin removed
• •300 g (10½ oz) raw prawns, shell-on, heads reserved for stock if possible
• •400 g (14 oz) potatoes, waxy or all-purpose, peeled
• •1 whole onion, finely chopped
• •3 whole garlic cloves, 2 sliced, 1 whole for picada
• •2 whole ripe tomatoes, grated on the coarse side of a box grater, skin discarded
• •80 ml (⅓ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• •1 tbsp ground almonds, or ground hazelnuts
• •1 slice stale country bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
• •1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• •1 pinch saffron threads, optional, toasted
• •1.2 l (5 cups) fish stock or water, warm
• •1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to finish
• •1 pinch salt and black pepper, to taste
• •4 slices toasted bread, for serving, rubbed with raw garlic if liked

Steps

1. 1 Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick slices about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Set aside.
2. 2 Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan or cazuela over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 8–10 minutes. Do not let it brown.
3. 3 Add the grated tomato and the smoked paprika. Cook, stirring, until the tomato has darkened and the oil has separated from the sofregit, about 8–10 minutes. This slow sofregit is the base of the stew's flavour.
4. 4 Add the potato slices and stir to coat in the sofregit. Pour in the warm fish stock (or water), add the saffron if using, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the potatoes are just tender and beginning to break at the edges, 15–18 minutes.
5. 5 While the potatoes simmer, make the picada: in a mortar, pound the whole garlic clove with a pinch of salt to a paste. Add the torn bread, the ground almonds and the parsley, and pound to a coarse paste. Alternatively, pulse everything in a small food processor with a splash of the cooking broth.
6. 6 Once the potatoes are tender, add the fish chunks and the prawns to the pan. Simmer gently for 4 minutes.
7. 7 Stir the picada into the stew. Simmer for a further 3–5 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily and the prawns are pink and curled through. The broth should be loose but slightly thickened from the potatoes and picada; add a splash more stock if it looks too thick.
8. 8 Taste and adjust the seasoning. The stew is done when the fish reaches an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F) and flakes when pressed with a fork.
9. 9 Rest off the heat for 5 minutes, then ladle into warm shallow bowls. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve immediately with toasted bread and, if you like, a spoonful of aïoli alongside.