Name: Zarzuela
Yield: Serves six
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 sole, plaice or flounder or other whole flat fish, about 500g/1¼ lb, cleaned; 250 g/9 oz monkfish on the bone; 12 raw king prawns (jumbo shrimp), with heads; pinch of saffron threads (0.2g); 30 ml/2 tbsp anis spirit, such as Ricard or Pernod; 2 bay leaves; salt and ground black pepper; 60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil; 4 large scampi (extra large shrimp), with heads, uncooked; 500 g/1¼ lb ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped; 45 ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish; 1 onion, chopped; 8 small squid, with tentacles; 30 ml/2 tbsp oil; 1 bay leaf; 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup white wine; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 5 ml/1 tsp paprika; 115 g/4 oz prawns (shrimp); 450 g/1lb mussels, cleaned; plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting; 1 dried chilli, seeded and chopped; 1 gurnard, snapper or other whole white fish, about 350 g/12 oz; 1 celery stick, chopped

Preparation info

Serves
six

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Recipes from My Spanish Grandmother

By Pepita Aris

Published 2013

About

The name of this dish translates as “light musical comedy”, reflecting the colour and variety of the stew, which is full of all sorts of fish and shellfish. It is distinguished from other fish stews by containing tomato as well as saffron. It’s a splendid feast and not difficult to make. If your pan is large enough, invite more guests and simply add a lobster, a good piece of hake, another bass and more prawns, cockles and other shellfish. To drink, choose a bottle of Torres Gran Viña Sol.<