Marmitako - a Basque tuna stew
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, ditto
- 400-600g/1-1½ lb diced tuna
- approx 800g potatoes (more if you're hungry), peeled and cut to medium size*
- 3 green peppers, deseeded and chopped
- 2 plum tomatoes, puréed (optional*) or for more authenticity, a pimiento chorizero, which is a small sweet pepper
- Salt & pepper
- Parsley to garnish
Method
- Gently fry the onions in the olive oil with the garlic, until golden.
- *Strictly speaking, you're supposed to break the potatoes rather than cut them. Cut into the potato a small way, then twist your knife. It makes the broth thicker. See below.
- Mix potatoes and peppers in flameproof casserole dish and add just sufficient warm water to cover them. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes - the potatoes should be just short of cooked.
- Add all other ingredients, stir briefly, bring back to boil, then cover and simmer for a further five minutes.
- Garnish with the parsley. Serve with well-seasoned fried bread.
*We have been reliably informed that 'no true Basque' would include this ingredient in this dish. But we like this recipe.
