Suquet de Peix

Suquet de Peix is Catalan, from the fishing towns of the Costa Brava and the wider Catalan coast. It is not just fish soup. It is firm white fish and potatoes cooked in a short, deep broth, built on a slow tomato sofregit and finished with picada, the Catalan mortar paste of almonds, garlic, parsley, and fried bread.

The method that decides it is the sofregit. Cook the onion and tomato low until the tomato darkens, the oil comes back out, and the pan smells sweet instead of raw. Rush that and the stew tastes thin. Then crack the potatoes, do not slice them cleanly, so their rough edges give starch to the broth.

If you are far from a Catalan fish market, no hace falta haber pisado España. Use monkfish, hake, cod loin, halibut, or any firm white fish that holds together; avoid soft fillets that fall apart before the potatoes are tender. A good fish stock matters more than a grand fish. The picada goes in at the end and pulls the whole pot together. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.