Basque Marmitako (The Sea, My, Chunks)

[Alexandria Profile]

The Basques have always had an amazing sea faring tradition dating back to the Vikings.

Mar mi tako, signifies, The Sea (mar), My (mi), Tako (chunks) .. This ancient dish is still the most popular amongst the fishermen aboard ships and fishing vessels, from October to June. It can be prepared aboard ships and boats inspite of the swaying and splashing of waves against the gunwales .. It is also served with a Guetaria, Txacoli (an Apple sparkling cider ).

Here is a truly amazing little recipe to keep you warm during the drop in temperatures and cold November approaching ..

Marmitako:

1 Kilo of White Tuna ( bonito )
200 Ml. Extra virgin olive oil - Navarran or La Riojan preferably.
200 Grams of onions finely minced
2 green bell peppers or green horn peppers seeded and diced finely & 2 red bell peppers ..
500 grams of potatoes peeled and diced finely into small dice ..
4 Dried Capsicums soaked for 12 hours ( can sub 1 dried "guindilla" dried red capscicum to taste)
Salt
Day old bread diced.
2 shot glasses of Spanish Brandy ..
Fresh or dried parsley. ( I use minced fresh)

Preparation:

1) Remove the skin & bones of the white tuna and slice into chunks or have your Fish Monger prepare for you.
2) Heat some oil in a heat proof casserole and sauté the onions and green bells over very slow low flame until they begin to soften.
3) Add the potatoes and sauté gently, and then add enough water just to cover. Cook on low slow flame 30 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Do not over cook.
4) Now sauté the white tuna in a separate skillet and then transfer to the casserole and add salt, fresh black pepper if you wish, and slow low flame cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
5) Now, Purée the red bells and dry capscium and add to the casserole .. And add their liquid they soaked in too ..
6) Add the Brandy and the parsley and simmer another 5 to 7 minutes at most .. on medium simmer .. Adjust salt.

Allow to rest uncovered and add the day old bread and with a wooden spatula gently stir to incorporate the day old bread chunks.

Place in deep bowls and serve with a Red Wine from Rioja Alavesa or a Txacoli (pronounced CHA KO LEE) ..

Divinely heavenly.

One requires a firm fish to prepare this dish; White tuna, Grouper or Cod Fish work best ..

Enjoy ..
Have a lovely weekend.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I love those kind of fish stews, but a kilo of bonito would probably be prohibitively expensive in London, even 500g for a half amount would be a treat, if you can find it at all (out of stock at the Fish Society)

[Sakkarin Profile]

I had no idea what "white tuna" was, be careful what you get, Stokey, if you give it a try!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... fects.html

[Suffs Profile]

I love fish stews like that ... however in the UK I'd not make it with tuna (white or not) ... I'd use Huss/Rock Eel/Rock Salmon .... I think that'd work well.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

The joy of bonito is that as it is not big you usually see the whole fish on the slab, easily identified
I'd rely on my fish monger though

[Alexandria Profile]

@Stokey Sue,

Any firm white fish shall work well that can be cut into chunks ..

It is wonderful warming and amazingly tasty ..

Have a lovely evening ..


@Suffs,

Any firm fish that is locally available in your vicinity shall work .. Fresh wild Cod is a great substitute .. The fish you have mentioned, I have never had so I cannot comment .. However, surely your fish monger can be of good advice on your local fish catches ..

Have a nice evening ..

[Alexandria Profile]

@ Sakkarin,


White tuna which is predominately caught off the coasts of Cantabria, Spain is an enormous firm wild White Albacore variety used predominately in the canning of tuna and jarring of tuna industries .. It is also prized by the Basque fishermen for their Marmitako .. a jewel of a fish stew on a cold day .. It is called Bonito ..


The article regarding mis labelling in the Usa, is quite typcial on that side of the blue pond ..

[Renée Profile]

What a lovely recipe, Alexandria!

I haven't seen white tuna here, except in small cans and jars. I would, of course, prefer to use fresh fish, so will speak to the experts on the market fish stall tomorrow.

I know what bell peppers are and I use them a lot, but you mentioned dried capsicums. Are these similar? I can get jars of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, which have a very intense flavour. Would these be suitable to use or would they have too strong a flavour?

[MariaK Profile]

I know what bell peppers are and I use them a lot, but you mentioned dried capsicums. Are these similar?

No they are very different from bell pepers, which are rarely used in Spanish recipes - especially the green ones. In a Spanish recipe a green pepper (pimiento verde) will almost always be one of the long thin ones.

In this case they'd be dried pimientos choriceros. Here's a link to various types of Spanish peppers - scroll down to pimentos choriceros for photos. They are used to give chorizos that intense red colour- hence the name

http://www.ggelalmirez.com/aprende-comi ... ondimento/

They are soaked in lukewarm water for 4 to 5 hours , the flesh is scraped off the dry skin and added to the dish. Here's a video - though he's using Ñora peppers (from Murcia on the East coast) the process is the same

https://www.pinterest.es/pin/465418942722401221/

They're more about colour than flavour /heat - unlike Mexican dried chillies. What I do if I've run out of the real thing is : roast a red bell pepper - the darker the better - blitz, add a generous pinch of "pimenton de la Vera" if you have it, or a little sweet paprika to the paste and use that.

Hope this helps.

[Alexandria Profile]

@ Maria K,

Thank you for your valuable links on Spanish dried pepper varieties ..

Have a nice weekend ..

[Alexandria Profile]

@ Renée,


This is a true delight and can be prepared with any seasonable fresh, firm White fish .. I would suggest that you speak to your Fish Monger .. The fish must be chopped into médium sized cubes.

The dried red peppers that Maria K. Posted links to, are the dried mild peppers that are used to provide the red color .. They are not spicy. I also add a tiny dried red chili pepper of less than one inch in length crumbled into the stew at the tail end of the preparation to provide a slight " kick " as the Basques are avid pepper growers ..

I would not use sun dried tomatoes in this stew ..

The name of the dried peppers are: Choriceros and they can be found in any Latin Supermarket Section or Latin Market or Central Market that sells Spanish products .. They come in a wrapped box. They are soaked for several hours and the Pulp is scraped out and put into the stew .. They are not spicy at all ..


If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask ..

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I think the white tuna in cans is albacore not bonito

I also think suffs is right and rock would be the best UK substitute in terms of texture

[Renée Profile]

Maria K, thank you very much for all your help and the information. I enjoyed watching the video. We do have the long red peppers in our supermarkets, so I will buy those, roast them, remove the skin and add the Pimenton de la Vera, which I do have!

Alexandria, thank you also for all your help. I will add a small red chilli to the dish. I think that I now have all the information that I need to make the dish, which will be tomorrow, when I will visit Chorley market.

Thanks, Sue. I will ask about rock.

[MariaK Profile]

We do have the long red peppers in our supermarkets, so I will buy those, roast them, remove the skin and add the Pimenton de la Vera, which I do have!

I'd use a heavy bell pepper for roasting - more flesh on them. The thin ones are a pain to peel. But use the thin ones for cooking and if you can get a couple of green ones, so much the better.

And here's another Spanish video on how to cut and break off the potatoes. The rough surface means more starch oozes into the "sauce" and helps to thicken it. You want to cut them straight into the pot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RkfqfRmq0s

In Alexandria's recipe, it doesn't really matter how you cut the potatoes, and neatly sliced will look better, as dried bread is added at the end, but it can be useful even in non Spanish dishes.

[Renée Profile]

Thanks, Maria. I'll get the normal shaped peppers. I'll have a look at the video now.

[Alexandria Profile]

@ Maria K,

I did mention that I dice my potatoes .. (Into Cubes) ..

The "horn" shaped peppers, red or Green are called " Italian Peppers" and one can employ or use Bell Peppers ..

Of course on the fishing boats, no one peeled the peppers .. They sautéed them .. They were sliced very tiny along with the onion ..

However, one can do as they wish .. This is a true classic traditional recipe and it is authentically Basque ..

Have a nice evening ..

[Renée Profile]

Thank you for the very interesting information, Alexandria!

I shall be up early and off to the market!

I use the long red pointed peppers when I make Muhamara.

Muhumara recipe

https://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/muhammara-shop

[Stokey Sue Profile]

When in Sitges last year we were surprised to find that the long pointy peppers (called Romano in UK supermarkets, so similar to the name Italian peppers) were cheaper than bell peppers. Here the Romanos are usually more expensive

I was amused to see the potato cutting technique in the video, that's something I do on boats or when camping where there's nowhere to put down a large chopping board and use a chef's knife.
Or something a nana does because she can cook nice food but has rubbish knife skills
Certainly never thought of it as in any way a deliberate, desirable, technique

[Renée Profile]

Well, I have all the ingredients and found sun-dried peppers in oil, which will have to do! I now have a headachy virus,so I'll see how I feel tomorrow.

[MariaK Profile]

Renée

So sorry you're feeling a bit under the weather - look after yourself and get well soon.

Clever you to get a jar of dry peppers.

All the best

Marja