Zarzuela
Zarzuela—the word means “medley” in Spanish— unites a variety of fish and is, like bouillabaisse, a dish whose ingredients can be varied according to what you can find. The traditional sauce accompaniment for Zarzuela is Romesco, but the variation makes that superfluous. I love this with crusty bread.
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Spanish brandy or cognac
- 1 small dried chile or ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- Pinch of saffron threads, optional
- 2 large tomatoes (drained canned are fine), cored and diced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1½ pounds mussels, cleaned
- 1½ pounds littleneck or mahogany clams or cockles, well scrubbed
- ½ pound shrimp (15 to 30 per pound), peeled
- ½ pound squid, cleaned , cut into rings, tentacles left intact
- 1 pound fillets of halibut, monkfish, grouper, or other firm white fish, skinned and cut into 1-inch chunks
- Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions:
- Put the oil in a deep skillet or flameproof casserole with a lid and place over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the brandy and bring the mixture to a boil. Crumble the chile and saffron if you're using it into the skillet, then stir in the tomatoes along with a little salt and pepper. When the tomatoes break up, add the wine and bring to a boil.
- Add the mussels and clams and cover. Cook until the first of these begin to open, about 5 minutes.
- Add the shrimp, squid, and fish and cook until the shrimp is pink, the fish cooked through, and most of the mollusks open, another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve.