Zarzuela de marisco is Catalonia’s showpiece seafood stew. It covers some of the same ground as Portuguese cataplana, but it gets somewhere different thanks to an ingredient Portuguese cooking rarely uses: a garlicky almond picada stirred in at the end.

Zarzuela builds a rich tomato and wine base, gets a layer of smoky depth from a bit of diced Serrano ham, and then takes on whatever good seafood you can find, firm white fish, shrimp, mussels, clams, squid, simmered in stages so nothing overcooks. The almond picada goes in last, thickening the broth and giving it a nutty, savory backbone that makes this taste far more composed than a simple seafood soup.

Our Cataplana de Marisco (recipe on the site) is the Portuguese take on the same idea, and Fideuà (recipe on the site) channels similar seafood flavors into a noodle dish. Zarzuela takes a little more attention than either, but it earns it.

Zarzuela de Marisco Recipe

What you need

Ingredients

For the picada:
1/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon brandy or water
For the stew:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz Serrano ham or prosciutto, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ripe tomatoes, grated, or 1 cup canned crushed tomato
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons brandy
3 cups fish or seafood stock
1 bay leaf
1 lb firm white fish fillets (such as monkfish, cod, or halibut), cut into large chunks
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 lb clams, scrubbed
8 oz squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley, for serving

Cook along

Instructions

Make the picada: in a small food processor or mortar, pound or pulse the toasted almonds, garlic, and parsley with the brandy or water until you get a coarse, thick paste. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ham and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it releases its fat and turns lightly golden.
Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the grated tomato and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until it darkens and thickens slightly.
Add the white wine and brandy, and simmer for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
Pour in the fish stock, add the bay leaf, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the firm fish chunks and squid, and simmer for 4 minutes.
Add the mussels and clams, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to open.
Add the shrimp and simmer, uncovered, for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque and all the shells have opened. Discard any mussels or clams that stay closed.
Stir in the picada, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 1 to 2 more minutes to let the sauce thicken slightly.
Remove the bay leaf, scatter with parsley, and serve immediately with crusty bread.