Basque Fishermen’s Stew

Like Catalan suquet, American cod chowder, or Marseille’s bouillabaisse, marmitako is a classic fishermen’s stew. Traditionally prepared on makeshift stoves aboard tuna boats on the icy Bay of Biscay, marmitako consisted of the day’s catch combined with sturdy shipboard provisions like potatoes, onions, and pimientos choriceros, the region’s smoky-sweet, fleshy dried peppers. (Before these ingredients were brought from the Americas, marmitako consisted of