Spain | Fish & Seafood | Soups & Stews | Stewing

Zarzuela de Mariscos

(Spanish seafood stew)

Yield: 4-6 servings


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Fish & shellfish (see variations) cleaned and prepared 2 lbs
     
Olive oil 1/4 cup
Onion minced 1 each
Bell peppers, red, green or yellow small dice 2 each
Garlic minced 3-5 cloves
Serrano ham or prosciutto (opt.) sliced into thin strips 1/4 cup
 
Tomatoes peeled, seeded, diced 3-4 cups
Almonds ground 1/2 cup
Bay leaf 1 each
Saffron pinch
Salt & pepper to taste
 
White wine 1 cup
Water or stock   3 cups
Lemon juice   1 Tbsp
Parlsey minced 2-3 Tbsp

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Clean & Prepare → Sauté → Simmer
  1. Clean and prepare your fish and shellfish. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high flame. Add onions, peppers and garlic and sauté till onion turns translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add ham or prosciutto and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, ground almonds, bay leaf, saffron and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors and reduce liquid somewhat.
  4. Add the wine and simmer to reduce somewhat. Add the water or stock, lemon juice and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes more.
  5. Add fish and seafood to the stew. Cover with a lid and simmer 10-15 minutes till everything is cooked through. Adjust seasoning and serve.

VARIATIONS

  • Use whatever fresh fish and seafood is available. Any firm, white-fleshed fish, cut into large chunks, is a good base. Other possible additions include calamari, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, crab, lobster and crayfish.
  • Add a pinch of thyme or rosemary if you like.
  • Add a dash of anise liqueur to perk up its flavor.
  • If both Serrano ham and prosciutto are unavailable, use a good quality cured ham.
  • Substitute hazelnuts for the almonds.

NOTES

  • This excellent seafood stew comes from the Catalan coast of northeast Spain. Zarzuela means "operetta", or "variety show", and perfectly describes the sing-song versatility of this dish. The greater the variety of seafood you add to this dish, the better its flavor will be.
  • Almonds can be ground easily in a spice or coffee grinder.
  • The recipe can be completed through Step 4 and fished later. The stew base will actually improve in flavor.