Basque Country: Marmitako Fish Stew

[Margi Cintrano]

Mar mi ta ko:

Mar signifies the Sea in Spanish, Mi means My and tako is pieces or chunks.

The Basques on the Iberian north central coast on the Cantabrian Sea, have had an enormous sea faring tradition steeped in history.

They are renowned for their haute cuisine and famed Chefs, for example, Luis Irizar, Juan Mari Arzak and Pedro Subijana and numerous new generation Basque Chefs.

Marmitako is a white tuna stew however, it can be made with grouper or any other firm fish you select.

The Basque fishermen prepare this dish aboard their ships to serve their crews and have been doing this for hundreds of years.

Marmitako Fish Stew:

2 pounds of fresh tuna
3/4 cup = 6 1/2 ounces of Olive oil
2 onions
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
2 green bell peppers
2 sweet red bell peppers
3/4 pound potatoes ( for cutting into chunks )
1 dried chili pepper or cayenne flakes
1 carrot diced
1 celery stalk diced
8 fl. ounces of dry white wine
minced sprigs of fresh parsley and thyme herb
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 Baguette style French bread cut into cubes
2 large ripe seeded, de-peeled tomatoes

1) sauté the fish in olive oil 30 seconds on each side.
2) remove the fish and pour off the oil and reserve.
3) sauté the onion chopped finely until tender
4) sauté until tender: the tomatoes, green and red bell pepper chopped finely, the garlic cloves minced, and the potatoes chopped 6 to 7 minutes
5) In soup / stock pot of choice: arrange the fish on top and add water to almost cover
6) add the white wine and simmer low flame for 1 hour
7) when the fish is tender and vegetables, stir regularly and sprinkle with the parsely and thyme herb minced finely
8) cut the bread in cubes and sauté in olive oil ( croutóns ) and sauté until golden and serve on top of stew ---

*** Note: this is not really a soup, it is more of a stew with a tomato - fish base, and the liquid should have lots of body. This is a fishermens stew on the northwest European Atlantic.

Margi Cintrano.

[HistoricFoodie]

Sounds great, Marji.

Thanks to Hoot, however, I've been looking at colonial fish stews and have found some approaches that I need to try. So they'll come first. But this one is definately on the list.

[4meandthem]

It would be worth the trip to try that!

[Margi Cintrano]

This is such an easy recipe and to top it off, it is delicious too ... One can add the fish and seafood combinations they enjoy most and the veggies. Potato is quintessential. Crusty bread for dunking and dipping.

Happy Valentine´s Day

Margi.

[Bolas De Fraile]

Margi I am not a fan of Tuna on the grill but I ate a stew like yours in Ayamonte and it was good. My wife makes Croatian 7 fish Brodetto (the use of 7 types of fish is to ward off the evil eye) when we are on the island.Have you ever tried the brown rock mussel? they are protected now
This is one of my fav restaurants in Istria the home of the world record white truffle Restaurant Zigante

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Bolas,

Good Evening.

The zone you are referring to is in Huelva, Anadalusia, on southwest Atlantic coast ... I have had many fish and shellfish varieties that are indigenious to that zone of Spain.

The Jabugo acorn fed air dryed aged ham from Jabugo, Huelva is quite delicious too.

Hurta ( pronounced " Ur ta " ) rock fish, a thick large firm white fish, which was heavenly in a tomato, garlic, pepper and onion stew.

Brown Mussels: what are they called in Spanish ? Italian ?

I had some unusual shellfish varieties in Cádiz, Sanlucar de Barameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria last year. One was a mussel, quite different from the Galician and also the French Brittany Atlantic ones.

Have a nice evening. I am making tiramisu for Valentine´s dessert and have lots to do for tomorrow.

Margi.

[Margi Cintrano]

Now this shellfish stew sounds lovely too ... Would you be kind enough to post recipe ?

Yes, I posted a Shellfish Brodo from Sardegna ---

It is under fish section I believe ... Sardegna Shellfish Brodo

The Miediterrean cuisines are quite similar. The handle of spices and fish varieties are a bit different ...

Thanks, again.
Margi.

[Bolas De Fraile]

Hello Margi, the brown mussel is called the date mussel in other parts of the med.
My wife father comes from Drnis the famous region for air cured ham or prsut, his brother cures about 50 legs a year. My first meal on arriving in Drnis is Prsut, Pashki Sir(the best aged ewe milk cheese) olives, bread, home cured salami.My father in law grows red and white grapes and the wine is so good, he makes a pudding wine called Prosec that makes me cry.After this meal we eat mainly fish with the odd bbq pig.
A recipe for Brodetto, the Croatian way
These pigs are in Serbia

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Bolas,

Very kind of you. Thanks alot.

I had looked up the name of the fish before I had gone over to office. I am going to speak with Miguel, my Fish Monger about Date Fish. There is another variety of rock fish called Hurta ( pronounced Urta ). Do you know it ? It is very popular along the Cádiz coast.

After re-looking at the fotos, the Date Fish look a little like a Dorada or Gilt Bream or Gilt Head --- or an Hurta --- a rock fish however, Gilt head is not a Rock Fish.

I am going to check with the Fish Monger and the Ayamonte Fish and Agriculture Department.

Thanks.

Dubrovnik: we have seriously discussed a spring trip, as I have always been fascinated with Dubrovnik ... However, as I stated in an earlier post, I do not know Croatia. I had been to Greece several times and Turkey.

This recipe looks wonderful and the piglets on the skewers too !

Thanks again for the recipe and the fotos.

M.C.

[Margi Cintrano]

Is Vegeta a specific ingredient in Croatian ?

May I ask, what is it exactly -- 1 tsp or 1 tblsp Vegeta ?

Thanks.
Margi.