Romesco de Peix - Catalonian Fish stew

Winter approaches and we can look forward to sampling the best stews have in the world. The stews of Spain.are aong them.

This dish is a speciality in Catalunya. The Romesco de Peix contains peppers, almonds and saffron.
This recipe uses clams and halibut but you could just as easily use prawns and mussels.

Yield:
4 servings
Category:
Seafood
Cuisine:
Spanish

INGREDIENTS:

  • 650 gram monkfish fillets, cut into 5cm square chunks 500 grams of clams, rinsed 1 x 400 grams tin plum tomatoes, drained of juice and roughly chopped 150 mils of white wine 100 mils of hot fish stock 50 saffron strands, infused in 4 tablespoons of boiling water Salt and pepper.
  • 150 grams whole blanched almonds, lightly toasted and roughly ground.
  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil.
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped.
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced.
  • 2 tsp.of finely chopped fresh rosemary.
  • 3 fresh bay leaves.
  • 2 red peppers, quartered, seeded and thinly sliced.
  • Half a teaspoon of paprika.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook the onion for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and sweet.
  2. Now add the garlic, rosemary, bay leaves and red pepper. When the pepper has softened for at least ten minutes, add the paprika and tomatoes..
  3. Simmer for another 10 minutes, then add the white wine and allow the alcohol to bubble away for a couple of minutes before adding the fish stock and the saffron infused water.
    Thicken the base with the almonds. Taste for seasoning.
    When you are almost ready to eat, add the halibut and clams, put the lid on and simmer until the fish is cooked through and the clams have steamed open which should be after about 5 minutes.
  4. In Catalunya they often accompany this dish with new potatoes.

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