Suquet de peix

It is said that the key to a good suquet (stew) depends on the quality of your picada (Catalan paste used as a base or thickener). Accepted opinion says that to make a good picada you need not only the freshest ingredients but, perhaps even more importantly, patience with the mortar and pestle. You must make sure you grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste and ensure it is of a thick consistency before adding it to the pot.The beauty of this dish is that you can tailor it to your own requirements, using whatever fish or shellfish you prefer or what is available at the fishmongers.

INGREDIENTS

To make the picada

- 200ml olive oil

- 1 clove of garlic

- 1 slice of bread

- monkfish liver

- 50g of toasted almonds

- chilli

- parsley

- saffron

- 1 teaspoon of sweet pepper

- a spoonful of flour

For the stew

- 4 slices of rap (monkfish)

- 4 slices of dorada (sea bream)

- 4 slices of cabracho (scorpion fish)

- 4 large prawns

- 8 mussels

- ½ litre of caldo de pescado (fish stock) or water

- ½ kilo potatoes, cut into thin slices

- a few drops of brandy

- 100ml white wine

- alioli (garlic mayonnaise) 

Thoroughly clean the fish and scrub the mussels well under running water, then put to one side. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic and the bread slice. When they turn golden, remove and then fry the fish liver. To make the picada, crumble the fried bread into breadcrumbs and put in the mortar along with the fried garlic, fish liver, toasted almonds, chilli, parsley and saffron. Add the sweet pepper and flour to a little olive oil and add to the mortar. Grind all these ingredients together into a paste, put it in the pot, then heat on a medium heat. Add the caldo or water and the potatoes. Cook on a low heat. Once the potatoes are par-boiled, add the fish then stir in the brandy and white wine. Then add the prawns and mussels and cover with a lid and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add alioli to the stew to taste. Serve piping hot.