ZARZUELA ( SPAIN )

 

Brimming with seafood and perfumed with garlic, zarzuela is a popular stew from the Catalan coast of Spain. This maritime dish gets its name from a type of variety show, a medley of music, comedy, and dance popular in 19 th century. Hence , zarzuela is sometimes called a 'seafood operetta'.

While there is no ecaxt formula for zarzuela - spelled sarsuel in Catalan - it always begins with a sofregit, a mixture of onions, garlic, and tomato gently stewed in olive oil. Then paprika, safron, and bay leave are added, which give the dish its characteristic colour, flavour, and aroma.

White wine, dry sherry, or fish broth provide the liquid base sometimes a combination of all three. The type of seafood depends on what is fresh and available, though in Catalonian it usually includes monkfish, prawn, squid, clam and langoustines ( small variety of lobster ). Some chef like to thicken zarzuela with picada, a paste made from fried bread , garlic, and almonds.

While zarzuella is enjoyed all over the world, it is best savoured at one of the seafood restaurant in Barceloneta, a beachfront neighbourhood in the Catalan capital. With a cold of cava, the local sparkling wine, this seafood operetta will make you taste buds sing .

From Terry Durack 1001 Food