Marmitako Basque Bonito Stew Recipes

MARMITAKO RECIPE

Steps:

• Remove the skin and bones from the tuna. Place these into a strainer and rinse to remove any scales or blood.
• Make a fish stock by sweating gently with a drop of olive oil all the vegetables for 5 minutes, add the fish bones and cover with water. Bring to the boil, skim all impurities and simmer for twelve minutes, strain through a fine sieve and set aside.
• Chop the red onion and green peppers finely, cut the potatoes into irregular 4cm chunks. The best way is to cut into the potato and then break it off with the knife as this helps release the starch which in turn will help thicken the stew.
• Pour 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil into a large pot, heat slowly and add the red onion and green peppers, when the onion is soft add the potatoes and stir with a wooden spoon, cook slowly for 5 minutes to allow the potatoes to release their starch.
• Place a fine strainer over the pot and pour the fish stock to cover the potatoes, if necessary add a little water. Bring to the boil and cook on a moderate heat moving the pot now and again for the potatoes to thicken the stew. Season with salt and add the pimiento choricero.
• The potatoes should take about 15 minutes to cook at a slow heat. Cut the tuna into one 2cm chunks, once the potatoes are cooked add the fish and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot and leave for 5 minutes to rest. Serve immediately.

MARMITAKO - BASQUE BONITO STEW

Steps:

• Cook finelly chopped onion, green peppers and garlic until onion is translucent. Then add potatoes (the traditional way is as follows: You roughly start cutting a piece of potato but the last part you don't cut it, you tear the potato, this is said to release more of the potato starch and make it a thicker more rustic stew, so all the potato pieces should be irregular).
• Keep cooking for a couple of minutes. After that add the choricero peppers flesh (also called ñoras). These are dried peppers, you have to boil water, pour it over them and let them soak for a few minutes until the flesh reconstitutes and you can scrape it with the back of a knife or spoon. Also add the pealed tomato chopped.
• Then if you want you can add a little bit of white wine, and then add water just to cover everything, cook it until potatoes are fork tender.
• After that you cube the bonito, salt and pepper it and add it to the stew along with the parsley. Cover it with the lid and remove from heat, let it set for 5 minutes, adjust salt as needed and serve. Enjoy!

MARMITAKO - BASQUE FISH STEW

Steps:

• Start by peeling the potatoes and slicing them roughly. Then peel and thinly slice both the onion and the garlic. Pour the oil into a saucepan and let it warm on the hob until it starts to smoke. Then add the potatoes, the onion and the garlic and let these cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionaly.
• Next add the bay leaves, the cayenne pepper, and finally a tsp of sweet paprika. Be careful at this point, you need to get the paprika coated in the oil without burning it - to do this successfully stir non-stop for between 20 to 30 seconds then immediately add the water, until the potato mixture is covered. Remove the cayenne pepper, and let the stew boil for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes and the fish. To easily peel the tomatoes, scald them (cover for half a minute with boiling water) and then remove the skin. Chop the tomatoes roughly and purée them using a fork. Next, cut the fish into small cubes, carefully removing any remaining bones.
• When the 20 minutes are up (this time really depends on the type of potatoes) add the tomato purée and leave the dish simmering on the hob for a further 7 minutes. Then add the tuna, and cook it for just 5 to 7 minutes more - you really have to be careful not to overcook the fish or it won't be tender. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve in bowls.