Best Catalan Fish Stew Recipes

Bullinada (Catalan Fish Stew With Aioli) image

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 1h

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
8 garlic cloves, 6 minced and 2 finely grated, passed through a press or crushed to a paste
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
8 cups fish stock, or use a combination of vegetable stock and clam juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 3/4 pounds new potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
Strips of zest from 1/2 orange
Salt and black pepper
1 3/4 pounds skinless fish fillets, such as hake or monkfish
3/4 cup prepared mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more for serving
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for serving

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.

Catalan Fish Stew image

Provided by PanNan

Categories Halibut

Time 40m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 1/2 lbs plum tomatoes, halved crosswise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 cup bottled clam juice
4 ounces serrano ham, sliced and cut into thin strips
1/3 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
1 1/2 lbs halibut fillets, cut into 2-inch chunks
kosher salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (preferably Pimenton de la Vera)

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 459.1, Fat 24.8, SaturatedFat 3.7, Cholesterol 111.6, Sodium 662.2, Carbohydrate 18.3, Fiber 3.2, Sugar 8.1, Protein 41