Costa Brava, Catalonia
The foundational Catalan fish stew of the Costa Brava fishing villages — built on a sofregit base, finished with a picada of almonds and garlic, and made from whatever came off the boat that morning. Suquet is simultaneously the simplest and most technically demanding Catalan seafood preparation: the sofregit must be cooked until almost jammy; the picada must be worked into the broth at the last moment to thicken and flavour simultaneously; the fish must be poached gently in the finished broth, never boiled. The word suquet comes from suc — juice. The dish is about the liquid, which is reddish-brown from the sofregit and thickened by the picada's fried nuts and bread.
Start with an onion-tomato sofregit cooked 30+ minutes until concentrated and almost dry. Add white wine, fish stock, and saffron. The picada — mortar-ground fried bread, garlic, almonds, parsley, and optionally saffron — goes in 5 minutes before serving to thicken. Fish is added in order of density: first monkfish or similar firm-fleshed fish, then clams, then lighter fish. Never boil after fish is added.
The best suquet uses the fish frames and heads to make stock for the same dish — absolute zero waste. The picada can be made in advance and refrigerated for a week. Some cooks add a small amount of brandy to the sofregit — it rounds the tomato's sharpness. Serve with pa amb tomàquet on the side.
Rushing the sofregit — an under-cooked base makes a watery, acidic stew. Adding the picada too early — it should thicken and enrich at the end, not dissolve into the stew. Boiling the fish — this toughens all seafood. Using fish stock that's too strong — the delicate fish flavours will be overwhelmed.
Moro by Sam and Sam Clark