Zarzuela of fish and seafood
6 servings
30 minutes
The main ingredients for zarzuela are: monkfish, sea bass, squid, Norwegian lobster, shrimp, mussels and other mollusks, small fish. You can't do without monkfish, and the rest can be replaced with sea bream, mors , ruffs, conger eel and other bottom fish with dense lean meat.
1
Broth. I loaded small fish into a large pot without cleaning them. In Spain, various small sea fish are sold for broths under the general name morralla.
2
I filleted the perch and the monkfish. I put the bones, head, fins, and skin into a pot with small pieces, added 3 liters of water, chopped leek, carrot, onion, celery, added a bunch of parsley and bay leaf, and salt.
- Small fish: 1 kg
- Sea bass: 800 g
- Monkfish: 1 kg
- Onion: 1.5 piece
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Celery: 1 piece
- Parsley: 1 bunch
- Bay leaf: 2 pieces
- Salt: to taste
3
I boiled the fish with vegetables for about 1 hour over medium heat. Then I strained the finished broth through a fine sieve. I froze the excess for future paella.
4
Picada. I soaked ñora peppers in boiling water. I toasted pieces of baguette over low heat until golden, and softened garlic cloves there without letting them burn.
- Dried pepper nyora: 4 pieces
- French baguette: 3 pieces
- Garlic: 5 clove
5
I scraped the flesh from the inside of the soaked peppers and mixed it in a mortar with crushed almonds, garlic, and bread. I added a handful of chopped parsley and saffron. I diligently pounded everything into a homogeneous mixture. I poured in a little fish broth to make it easier to mix the contents of the mortar.
- Peeled almonds: 0 g
- Chopped parsley: 0.3 glass
- Saffron: 0.5 teaspoon
- Dry white wine: 200 ml
6
I washed two medium-sized squids, cut them into rings, and fried them in a wide and deep clay pan over medium heat until golden brown on each side, then set aside.
- Squid: 2 pieces
7
I sautéed the shrimp and lobsters. Very quickly, 20 seconds on each side. The shellfish should be dry and at room temperature. Set aside.
- Shrimps: 6 pieces
- Lobsters: 4 pieces
8
Next, I softened chopped onion and bell pepper in the pan. I added grated tomato (without skin), paprika, and bay leaf, and simmered on low heat for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, I evaporated the alcohol from the wine on the adjacent burner for at least 5 minutes after boiling. I poured the wine into the pan with the vegetables and simmered on low heat for another 10 minutes.
- Onion: 1.5 piece
- Red sweet pepper: 0.3 piece
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
- Sweet paprika: 1 teaspoon
- Bay leaf: 2 pieces
- Dry white wine: 200 ml
9
Sarsuela. I added large pieces of monkfish and bass to the sofrito, medium heat. I fried the fish for a couple of minutes.
- Monkfish: 1 kg
- Sea bass: 800 g
10
Then added shrimp and lobsters, mollusks, poured broth to the top edge of the pan's contents, salted, and peppered (optional).
- Shrimps: 6 pieces
- Lobsters: 4 pieces
- Venus shells (vongole): 12 pieces
- Mussels in shells: 8 pieces
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
11
I scattered the picado on top, covered it with a lid, reduced the heat, and shook the pan without stirring until the shells of the mollusks opened. Immediately after, the container can be placed under a hot grill in the oven for 1-2 minutes to 'dry' the surface of the sarzuela. But don't overdo it — dry shrimp and mollusks are inedible.
- Chopped parsley: 0.3 glass
12
Serve the fish and seafood zarzuela immediately. But I liked it more cold, the next day.