Name: Suquet de Peix
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: scorpionfish / scorpionfish / gurnard Any firm-fleshed fish will do; monkfish liver (half, if very large); 8 cloves garlic; 2 ripe tomatoes; 1 green pepper; 3 potatoes

Suquet de Peix

A fish stew with an intense sea flavor, made with monkfish, scorpionfish, or gurnard, and its flavor is enhanced with monkfish liver and a touch of garlic.

Ingredients

Servings:

Ingredients

scorpionfish / scorpionfish / gurnard Any firm-fleshed fish will do
monkfish liver (half, if very large)
8 clovesgarlic
2 ripe tomatoes
1 green pepper
3 potatoes

Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories

370 kcal

Protein

15 g

Fat

1 g

Carbohydrates

82 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Preparation

Blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute in boiling water. Remove them from the water and allow them to cool slightly. Peel them and remove the seeds.
Clean the fish under cold running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper and cut into thick slices approximately 2 cm thick. Set aside.
Grate the flesh of 2 of the tomatoes until you obtain a smooth paste.
Prepare a fish stock using the heads, bones of the fish, and the grated tomato. Let it simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Strain the stock and set it aside for later use.
Peel the potatoes and break them into irregular cubes, ensuring they are a similar size so they cook evenly.
Finely chop the green pepper, ensuring that the pieces are uniform for even cooking.
Crush the garlic cloves with the palm of your hand or the side of a wide knife to release their juices and aromas.
Sauté the chopped pepper in a pan with a little oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, until tender.
Add the monkfish liver cut into small pieces and the chopped garlic. Let them brown slightly for 3 minutes.
Strain the oil from the pan and set aside the pepper, garlic, and liver for the final mixture. Note: if the liver is very large, not all of it needs to be used.
In this oil, sauté the other 3 finely chopped tomatoes over low heat for 15 minutes, until they change color and become concentrated.
When the tomato sauté changes color, add the smashed potatoes and let them cook for 3 minutes so they absorb the flavor.
Next, pour the broth into the pot and let everything cook together for 15 minutes on low heat.
To thicken the stew, once the potatoes are cooked, remove a ladleful of broth with potatoes and blend it (using a blender) until you get a puree. Return it to the pot and stir well.
Prepare a picada by grinding together the raw almonds, toasted hazelnuts, parsley, garlic, bell pepper, and the reserved liver. Add some breadsticks (or a biscotti or fried bread) and grind until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
After 15 minutes, add the picada to the pot and stir well.
Add the fish to the pot. Cover it and let it cook for 5 more minutes on low heat. Then turn off the heat.
Let the dish rest, covered, for 6 minutes before serving, so that the flavors concentrate.

Recommendations & Tricks

If the monkfish liver is very large, use only half to avoid making the dish too intense. Reserve the other half for another recipe.
In hot oil, sauté the three ripe tomatoes, previously peeled and diced into small cubes, for about 10-15 minutes until they lose their water and thicken.
When the tomatoes have turned a deep red color, add the potatoes, broken by hand into irregular pieces, and sauté them for 3 minutes to infuse them with flavor.
Next, pour in the broth, which should be hot beforehand to avoid disrupting the cooking, and cook the potatoes over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until they are tender.
To thicken the stew, remove a ladle of juice and a small amount of cooked potatoes, blend everything with a blender until you achieve a homogeneous cream, and add it back to the pot, stirring well to integrate it.
Prepare a "picada" with 10 raw almonds and 10 toasted hazelnuts, a handful of fresh parsley, a clove of garlic, a small pepper, the reserved monkfish liver, and one or two breadsticks (or biscotti), blending everything into a fine paste.
After the potatoes have cooked for 15 minutes, add the "picada" to the pot and stir well to distribute all the flavors.
Incorporate the fish pieces into the stew, cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 5 more minutes on low heat. Then, turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.