1 large ripe tomato
50ml olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
10 blanched almonds
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
1 tsp saffron threads
1 litre fish stock, warmed in a saucepan
60ml Cava or sparkling wine
1 kg ling fillets, cut into thick cubes
400g squid, cleaned and cut into rings
500g mussels, washed and debearded
12 medium-sized prawns, peeled and deveined, with tails left on
1Grate the tomato into a bowl with a box grater, discarding the skin.
2Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden. Transfer garlic to a mortar and pestle, add almonds and parsley and pound to a coarse paste, set aside. Add onion and bay leaves to saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened.
3Add tomato and saffron, stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes, add the fish stock and wine, and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
4Add the seafood and cook for 10-12 minutes or until all the seafood is cooked. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper then transfer the stew into bowls and top each with a dollop of the pounded garlic, parsley and almond mixture.
This Iberian recipe has tomato, onion and garlic at its heart with the bay leaves adding a savoury note and saffron an exotic spice. The assorted seafood brings its own salty flavours to the dish. A fine, bone-dry sherry could work, as would an ultra-crisp vinho verde but this pinot noir-based rosé makes for a stellar match. The winemaking trick is a few hours of skin contact to extract the salmon-pink colour and a mild tannin presence with barrel fermentation (in old barrels) bringing structure and a savoury edge. It’s a mouth-watering wine, so keep an extra bottle handy, in case of an (empty bottle) emergency. Please remember to serve the Curly Flat cool, but not icy cold.