SERVES 6
How to translate the name of this dish? It’s not really soup or stew—there is little liquid in the end, just enough to dip bread into. But it’s that bit of sauce—the suquet, Catalan for “little juices”—that gives the dish its name. Suquet hails from the fishing villages of the Costa Brava, where fishermen cooked the fish that were beaten up when they were caught, the odds and ends, or the fish that didn’t fetch such high prices at the market. (Incredibly, that once included monkfish.)
1. In a cazuela, heavy casserole, large sauté pan, or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and bread and cook until each is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove as done and reserve.
2. In the cazuela, prepare a sofrito with the onion and tomatoes, following the directions on page 39.
3. In a saucepan, heat the stock over medium heat, cover the pan, and keep hot.
4. When the sofrito is ready, add the potatoes and cook, turning over a few times to coat with sofrito, until they lose their rawness, about 10 minutes. Pour in 2 cups/500 ml of the stock and simmer until the potatoes are quite tender and nearly cooked, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the potato.
5. Meanwhile, prepare a picada with the reserved garlic and bread, the almonds, parsley, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the simmering liquid, following directions on page 39.
6. Stir in the picada, pimentón, and saffron. Season the fish with salt and pepper and lay them in the pan. Pour over the remaining 2 cups/500 ml stock and simmer until the fish is opaque throughout and the potatoes tender, jiggling the pan from time to time, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve from the cazuela.