Fish and seafood stew

Caldereta is the name given to different meat or fish dishes that are cooked with a reduction of water or wine. Traditionally it was considered a poor man's dish due to its simplicity and its name reflects the fact that in the past it was cooked in cauldrons.

Nowadays these types of dishes are still served on the table with the same pot or cauldron that has been cooked. It is a very complete recipe and we can adapt it with the fish and seafood that we like the most, making it more economical. The base of this dish is fish, better if they are dark meat like monkfish or scorpionfish, and you can play with the type of seafood although it is not necessary to put large quantities.

Ingredients:

• 350 scorpion fish cut into slices
• 300 g grouper cut into cubes
• 320 gr (1 sea bass) cut into slices
• 250 g monkfish tail cut into cubes
• 6 crayfish
• 6 prawns
• 1 handful of clams
• 1 handful of rock mussels

For the sauce:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely chopped
• 150 g red pepper finely chopped
• 400 g of crushed tomato
• 2 dessert spoons of ñora paste
• 250 ml of water
• 1 glass of armagnac or brandy
• 2 glasses of white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

For the bite:

• A handful of toasted almonds
• 2 garlic
• 1 ounce dark chocolate
• A bunch of parsley
• One cumin grains

Preparation:

1. Pour a splash of oil into the Monix Optima high saucepan and briefly sauté the crayfish and prawns with a little salt. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
2. Add a little more oil if necessary to sauté the onion and carrot, let it sauté for a few minutes. Add the red pepper and continue with the sauce to incorporate the crushed tomato and ñora paste, let the sauce reduce until all the water from the tomato evaporates and the consistency is similar to a jam.
3. Meanwhile, in a mortar we chop the garlic with the chocolate, cumin, almonds and parsley and add it to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and let the sauce cook for around 15 minutes.
4. We put the mussels and clams in a 16 cm Optima de Monix saucepan with a glass of white wine, cover and leave until they open with the steam. As the seafood opens, we take it out and set it aside, we strain the broth and keep it for later.
5. Season all the pieces of fish with salt and pepper, add the brandy to the sauce and flambé carefully. When the alcohol has evaporated, add the second glass of wine and let it evaporate again.
6. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
7. Carefully place the fish in the saucepan and add the mussel and clam broth. Let it cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat and transfer the saucepan to the oven to finish cooking for about 15 minutes, but it will depend on the thickness of the fish.
8. Remove the saucepan from the oven and add the ingredients that we have reserved such as the crayfish, prawns, mussels and clams to the stew, let the stew come to a boil again so that it takes in all the flavors and serve immediately.

Photographs and recipe by Silvia .