Servings: 6

For the stew:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 pieces monkfish about 3/4 to 1 inch thick, or any firm fleshed thick white fish
Salt and pepper
All-purpose flour for coating the fish
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, grated on the coarse side of a 4-sided grater
18 mussels, cleaned
1/3 cup dry white wine
12 cherrystone clams, purged by soaking for 30 minutes in cold salted water
2 cups fish stock
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds baking (russet) potatoes, peeled
1/2 teaspoon saffron

For the picada:

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 bunch parsley leaves, chopped
1/3 cup toasted mixed almonds and hazelnuts

Make the stew:

In a large cast iron skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off the excess. Add the fish to the pan and brown lightly on both sides (you will finish cooking the fish later). Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil and the onion to the skillet, add a pinch of salt, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces and becomes jammy looking.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the mussels with the wine, cover and steam over medium high heat until all the mussels have opened. Transfer them to a bowl, add the clams to the saucepan, cover and steam until all of them have opened, adding some water if all of the wine has evaporated. Transfer the clams to the bowl with the mussels and strain the cooking liquid through a strainer, discarding any sand. Return the strained liquid to the saucepan and add the fish broth. Heat over medium high heat until hot.

“Break” the potatoes into the skillet with the tomato mixture, by breaking pieces of them off in irregular chunks using a paring knife. Add a pinch of salt and stir the potatoes with a spoon to make sure they get mixed well with the tomato mixture. Add the hot fish stock and the bay leaves, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

In a small bowl combine the saffron and 1/4 cup of warm water and set aside.

Make the picada;

In a mortor and pestle combine the garlic and a pinch of salt and mash until the garlic forms a paste. Add the parsley and mash until finely chopped. Add the nuts and continue mashing until the mixture is finely chopped.

When the potatoes are cooked, add the saffron, the picada, the fish and any juices from the plate. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Add the mussels and clams along with any juices from the bowl and simmer just until hot. Spoon into bowls and serve.

Chickpeas with Spinach “a la Catalana” 

Servings: 6 (tapas size)

2 bunches of fresh spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
130 grams of cured “pancetta” (pork belly), cut in small cubes
1 teaspoon of “Pimentón de la Vera” (like smoked paprika)
3 cups of cooked chickpeas, strained
1/2 cup of raisins
A handful of pine nuts, toasted in a pan
Salt and pepper

In a medium skillet sauté́ the spinach in a little olive oil with a pinch of salt until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, saute the pancetta in a little olive oil, stirring, until brown. Add the“Pimentón de la Vera”, stir quickly and add the chickpeas and the raisins. Cook all together for about 2 minutes.

Add the cooked spinach, the raisins and some of the pine nuts. Mix well and serve with some fresh olive oil and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top.