Catalan Fish Stew Recipes

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onions, stirring occasionally, and cook until they begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly golden, 1 minute.
• Stir in saffron, and pour in fish stock and wine. Add potatoes, fennel seeds, orange peel, a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
• Season fish with salt and pepper. Remove orange peels from soup and add fish. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until fish is opaque and flaky, 4 to 14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Using a metal spatula or knife, break the fish into chunks.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, remaining garlic and Aleppo pepper. Slowly stir in a ladle of hot stock into mayonnaise mixture. Gently stir mayonnaise mixture into simmering soup. Heat through, without reaching a boil (the mayonnaise will curdle). Stir in parsley and taste, adding more salt if you'd like. When serving, garnish with more parsley and Aleppo.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix the parsley with ½ the garlic and lemon zest, then set aside. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan. Throw in the onion and potatoes, cover the pan, then sweat everything for about 5 mins until the onion has softened. Add the remaining oil, garlic and spices, then cook for 2 mins more.
• Pour over the lemon juice and sizzle for a moment. Add the tomatoes, ½ a can of water and crumble in the stock. Season with a little salt, then cover the pan. Simmer everything for 15-20 mins until the potatoes are just cooked.
• Stir through the prawns and chickpeas, then nestle the fish chunks into the top of the stew. Reduce the heat and recover the pan, then cook for about 8 mins, stirring very gently once or twice. When the fish is just cooked through, remove from the heat, scatter with the parsley mix, then bring the dish to the table with the bottle of olive oil for drizzling over and some crusty bread, if you want.

Steps:

• Carefully grate the cut sides the the tomatoes, stopping when you reach the skin. This should produce approximately 2 cups of tomato pulp.
• In a large deep skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the onion and half of the garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown (about 6 minutes). Add the tomato pulp and cook over high heat until thickened (about 5 minutes). Add the clam broth and boil until it is reduced by half (about 5 minutes).
• Add the ham, olives, and fish and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fish is cooked through and the stew is thick. (about 5 minutes).
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, or a mortar and pestle, mash the remaining garlic to a paste along with a pinch of salt. Whisk the mayonnaise into the garlic paste along with the paprika and the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil.
• Serve the stew in shallow bowls with a dollop of the mayonnaise and crusty bread.

Steps:

• Boil or steam lobsters for 10 minutes, then rinse with cool water. Crack shells, remove meat and cut into large chunks. Put shells in a large pot, cover with 10 cups water and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain, reserve broth and discard shells.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place almonds and hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast until fairly dark, about 12 to 15 minutes. Rub skins from hazelnuts; discard skins.
• Place a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add olive oil to depth of 1/4 inch. When oil is hot, fry bread slices slowly on both sides until crisp and golden, 5 to 6 minutes, adjusting heat if bread is browning too quickly. Remove bread, drain on paper towel and cut into rough 1/2-inch cubes; set aside. Pour off all but about 4 tablespoons oil (Save excess oil for another purpose.) Add onion to pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until onion is softened and lightly colored, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put dried ñora or ancho chiles in a small pot of water and simmer for about 15 minutes, until softened, then drain, discarding water.
• Put almonds, hazelnuts, fried bread, garlic, dried chiles, Fresno chiles, piquillo peppers and pimentón in a large mortar and pound to a rough paste. (You may use a food processor instead.)
• Add chile mixture to softened onions and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato purée and wine and simmer until mixture has dried out a bit. Add 8 cups lobster broth and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning. If too thick, add a little more broth. (May be prepared up to this point several hours ahead.)
• To serve, bring to a brisk simmer and add clams. When clams begin to open, add lobster meat and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley and ladle the stew into 4 to 6 large soup bowls.