ZARZUELA DE MARISCOS

Zarzuela de mariscos -

a mixed seafood soup with Squid, Mussels, Clams and Prawns

The word Zarzuela is Spanish for a particular kind of light or comic opera which includes operatic sequences, popular songs and dance - a light hearted mixture.  It is also the name given to a composite Spanish fish stew containing a mixture of different seafood ingredients.

It can be made with a variety of different fishes such as bream, hake, monkfish, seabass or with shellfish or a mixture of both.  On this occasion we decided to make one without fish using squid, mussels, clams and prawns.

It's comparator in France would be bouillabaisse.  It is also be similar to cioppino - a dish originating in San Francisco from the American-Italian community but owing its origins to various regional seafood dishes from Italy.

Zarzuela is, however, a more rustic dish than bouillabaise or cioppino - heavier and richer - due to the addition of serrano ham (or, in some recipes, chorizo) and ground almonds to thicken and flavour the sauce.

The quantities given here are for two very generous portions but could feed three as a main course or provide four large or six smaller starters.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg Mussels

500g Clams - eg Almejas, Vongole, Berberechos (cockles)

6 raw King Prawns or similar

1 squid

half cup blanched almonds

100g Serrano Ham

500 ml stock (fish, chicken or vegetable)

2 bay leaves

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 red pepper

1 dessertspoon chopped rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh thyme

4 large ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)

1 lemon

Chopped parsley

1 dessertspoon Sweet Paprika/pimentón dulce*

1 red chilli*

pinch saffron

1 glass dry white wine, sherry or vermouth

Olive oil

for the stock

Heads and shell of prawns

1 small onion

2 sticks of celery chopped

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

METHOD

Peel the prawns, reserving the heads and shells for stock. Remove the black intestinal track and set aside the prepared prawns.

For the stock, gently soften a small chopped onion in a little olive oil, add chopped garlic, chopped celery, add 750mls water or chicken or vegetable stock and a bay leaf, bring to the boil and gently simmer for 20-30 mins than strain and set aside.

Clean the squid, or ask your fishmonger to do it, but it is comparatively easy to do yourself. Pull the head and it should come away with all the intestines. Remove the plastic-like quill from inside the tube. Cut the tentacles from the head just above the eyes and remove the hard beak.  You can then separate the tentacles into 4 pieces and set aside.

SQUID TENTACLES 

 Rinse the squid tube in running water.........

SQUID CLEANED

 ......then remove the skin. Just rub the tube and the skin will pull away easily and can be discarded.

REMOVE SKIN FROM SQUID

The wings can then be pulled off easily.  They can be chopped or sliced and the tube can be cut into rings.  Dust the squid rings, tentacles and wings with flour that has been seasoned with black pepper and half teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  Shake off excess flour and gently fry for a few minutes and set aside.

FRY SQUID

Rinse the mussels and clams in running water and debeard the mussels. Throw away any that do not close or have broken shells.

Blend the almonds in a blender/coffee grinder to a granular texture like breadcrumbs. If you blend them too fine they will be very greasy.

Add the saffron to the white wine.  (Most recipes I have seen add saffron, so I did, but the broth is so powerful that I am sure no one would notice its absence if you omitted it!)

Finely chop or mince the onion and fry gently to soften without browning in a large pan with a lid or casserole a dish.  Add the chopped garlic and then the chopped serrano ham and fry gently for a few minutes. 

Add the chopped red pepper and chopped red chilli and continue cooking gently until the pepper has softened.

CHOP PEPPERS

Add the prepared prawns.....

PRAWNS - SHELL REMOVED

 ....and continue frying gently for two minutes, turning the prawns until they colour a little.

Add the white wine infused with saffron and the bay leaf, thyme & chopped rosemary leaves and bring to the boil.  Add the tomatoes and when the mixture reaches boiling, add the mussels and clams. 

MUSSELS AND BERBERECHO CLEANED

Turn down the heat, place a lid on top and simmer gently until the mussels and clams have opened.

ADD LID AND BOIL GENTLY

 When the mussels and clams have opened, remove the lid, remove any mussels or clams that have not opened, scatter chopped parsley over the stew and season with black pepper and the juice of the lemon.....

SCATTER WITH CHOPPED PARSLEY

 ........and serve with fresh crusty bread.

SERVED

Yum!  

*If you want more "heat" add extra chilli during cooking or use hot paprika (pimentón picante) as well as or instead of  pimentón dulce.

John Austin

Santa Pola, Spain - March 2019

RABBIT COOKED WITH PIMENTÓN (paprika) - Conejo chilindron

Conejo chilindron

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

30 ml olive oil.

1 rabbit

4 garlic cloves, chopped finely or minced

1 large onion peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon sweet paprika.(Pimentón dulce)

½ tablespoon hot paprika (Pimentón picante)

2 bay leaves

4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or tinned tomatoes or passata)

2 tablespoons tomato purée.

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into strips. (Or one jar of roasted sweet red peppers, drained)

250 ml red or white wine

500 ml chicken and/or rabbit stock*

750g potatoes

100g chopped serrano ham or similar**

1 dessert spoon chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

METHOD

If using fresh peppers, cut into strips and gently fry in olive oil until softened and set aside.

Chop the rabbit, or ask your butcher to do this for you, place in a polythene bag with flour seasoned with salt and pepper and shake.

Shake off excess flour from the pieces of rabbit and fry gently in batches until lightly browned on all sides and set aside.

Whole dried Ñoras 

Add the wine and two bay leaves. Bring gently to the boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Gently fry the onion until softened but not browned, adding the chopped/minced garlic during the cooking. 


Add the chopped ham and fry gently for a few minutes. 

Return the meat to the pan. Add the pimentón, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and chopped rosemary. If you use passata (tomate frito in Spain) you may not need the tomato puree. Stir to ensure meat is thoroughly coated. 

You can use any pimentón. This is really a matter of personal taste. For the sweet one I used Ňora picada - roughly ground.  Ňoras are grown a lot in the Murcia region (south east Spain). You could use sweet (dulce), bittersweet (agridulce) or hot (picante) in varying proportions. Some recipes use ñoras or ñora paste, others choricero puree.  Ñoras are popular in Murcia and Valencia where they are sun-dried.  In Spain they will find any reason for a festival. We were in Guardamar del Segura a few years ago (the southernmost town where Valenciano is spoken) when they were celebrating a week long Ñora Festival!  If you prefer a smokey taste use Pimentón de la Vera, which is smoked,  the characteristic flavour often found in chorizo, and originates from Extramadura in western Spain. 

Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, put on the lid and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in prepared peppers and potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces, and return to heat and simmer** gently for 45 minutes.

When ready to serve, sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve with crusty bread and a green side salad or seasonal vegetables. We served ours with steamed red cabbage - a hearty winter dish.

* If the rabbit comes whole, you can use the head and heart/lungs/liver to make a rabbit stock.

**If you don’t have serrano ham you could substitute pancetta or lardons of bacon

*** At this stage, instead of cooking on top of the stove, the casserole dish can be put in a preheated oven at 130C.

John Austin

Santa Pola, Spain, March 2019