Tarragona-Style Fisherman’s Seafood and Potato Stew

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A hearty fisherman's stew born along the rocky coves of the Costa Daurada, this Tarragona classic layers humble potatoes with mixed seafood in a saffron- and paprika-scented tomato broth thickened with toasted bread and almonds. Each shallow bowl balances briny shellfish, tender hunks of white fish, and silky potatoes soaked in deeply savory Mediterranean flavors.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 480 kcalCalories
• 18 gFat
• 3 gSaturated Fat
• 38 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 6 gSugar
• 36 gProtein
• 920 mgSodium
• 980 mgPotassium
• 150 mgCalcium
• 4 mgIron
• 22 mgVitamin C
• 180 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the seafood

• 300 g (about 10 oz) monkfish fillet, cut into 3 cm chunks
• 200 g (about 7 oz) skinless hake or sustainable cod fillet, cut into chunks
• 200 g (about 7 oz) small clams (palourdes or cockles), scrubbed
• 200 g (about 7 oz) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 6 large head-on shell-on prawns

For the sofrito base

• 60 ml (1/4 cup) Spanish extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)
• A generous pinch of saffron threads, bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water
• 200 g ripe tomatoes, grated (or 150 g crushed San Marzano tomatoes)

For the potatoes and broth

• 600 g (about 1 1/4 lb) waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced 5 mm thick
• 750 ml (3 cups) warm fish or light seafood stock
• 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) dry white wine
• 2 dried ñora peppers, seeded and briefly rehydrated (optional)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste

For the picada (traditional thickener)

• 30 g (about 1 oz) day-old rustic country bread, torn
• 20 g (about 2 tbsp) raw blanched almonds
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Pinch of salt

To finish and serve

• 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 4 thick slices crusty country bread, toasted
• 1 garlic clove, halved, for rubbing the toast
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Make the picada first: in a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes, then add the torn bread and toast until crisp, 2 minutes more.
2. Transfer the almonds, bread, garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt to a mortar or small food processor and grind to a coarse paste with a few teaspoons of water. Set aside.
3. Warm the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed cazuela or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook gently until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in most of the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add the grated tomato and cook, stirring, until it thickens and darkens to a deep red, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the sweet paprika, stir 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes.
5. Add the sliced potatoes, fish stock, rehydrated ñora peppers if using, and the bloomed saffron with its soaking water. Season lightly with salt, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook until the potatoes are just tender and the broth is lightly reduced, 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Nestle the monkfish into the broth, cover, and simmer 4 minutes. Add the hake, prawns, clams, and mussels, cover again, and cook until the clams and mussels have opened and the prawns are just pink, 4 to 6 minutes more. Discard any shellfish that fail to open.
7. Stir the prepared picada into the stew and simmer 1 to 2 minutes so the bread thickens the broth slightly and everything is piping hot. Taste and adjust salt.
8. Remove from the heat and let the stew rest, covered, 3 minutes so the seafood juices settle into the broth and the bread finishes softening.
9. Ladle into warm shallow bowls, scatter the remaining minced garlic and fresh parsley over the top, and finish with a generous drizzle of raw Spanish olive oil. Serve immediately with garlic-rubbed toasted bread for soaking up the broth.

Cook’s Notes

• Choose the freshest sustainable white fish you can; monkfish holds up best to simmering without falling apart, while hake stays silky if added only at the end.
• If you cannot find ñora peppers, substitute 1 teaspoon of mild New Mexican chili powder or one roasted red pepper strip blended into the tomato base.
• Toast the bread and almonds separately and grind only briefly; a coarse paste is traditional and gives the suquet body without turning the broth gummy.
• Add the seafood in stages so more delicate fish and shellfish stay tender, and pull the pot off the heat as soon as the last clam or mussel pops open.
• A short covered rest off the heat lets the broth absorb the seafood juices and the bread from the picada fully thicken the stew before serving.

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