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Zarzuela (Zarzuela De Mariscos)

From http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-012w686.html
serves 4

12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
12 clams, scrubbed and rinsed
250 ml dry white wine
250 g monkfish fillet, skinned and cut into large chunks
250 g halibut fillet, cut into large chunks
6 large peeled prawns, tail fins on
5 tablespoons virgin olive oil
6 cooked langoustines or extra prawns
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, cut into wedges, to serve

picada

2 slices fried white bread, cut into cubes
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
9 almonds, coarsely chopped
125 ml extra virgin olive oil

sofregit

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons sweet paprika (pimenton dulce)
200 g canned chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 1 tablespoon boiling water
3 bay leaves sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the picada, put the fried bread in a small processor with the garlic and almonds and blend finely. With the motor running, gradually add the oil to form a loose paste.

2. To prepare the mussels and clams, put the wine in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the mussels and clams, cover and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes -shake the pan after 1 minute - until all the shells have opened. Discard any that haven't. Pour into a colander set over a bowl to catch all the liquid. Transfer the mussels and clams to a bowl and cover loosely. Reserve the liquid to use in the sofregit.

3. To make the sofregit, heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and fry gently until pale golden and soft. Stir in the paprika, tomatoes and saffron and its soaking water. Pour the mussel liquid carefully through a fine-meshed sieve, leaving any sediment behind. Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat for
10 minutes. Add a little water if the mixture gets too thick.

4. Season the monkfish, halibut and prawns with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the
oil in a, frying pan, add the pieces of monkfish and halibut and fry until lightly golden on both sides. Remove to a plate and keep them warm. Deglaze the pan with 3 tablespoons water and pour into the simmering sofregit.

5. Wipe the frying pan, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and the prawns and fry just until they turn pink on both sides. Add the langoustines to heat through for 1 minute, turning frequently. Pour in the cooked sofregit and add the rest of the seafood, including the mussels and clams. Heat very gently for a few minutes to ensure everything is cooked through. Loosen the picada with a little liquid from the pan and fold into the seafood. Serve with the lemon wedges.

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