Spanish Week: Day 5 (Estofado)

Hola amigos and welcome to day 5 of Spanish week. I hope you all had an enticing Saint Patrick's Day filled with green beer and succulent corned beef and cabbage. Yesterday surely was an interesting day. A national non-holiday, holiday so to speak. It's when all of the Irish come out to play and potatoes make their rounds on almost every household table. But despite the holiday, I have a duty to you all and I must keep to it. So, instead of an Irish favorite, I will continue on with Spanish week. Today, we are going to be tackling a Spanish fish stew. I chose this dish because the waters surrounding Spain and Mexico are full of a variety of fish. Spain is notorious for it's fish dishes. So, let's grab our aprons and cook books and let's get cooking!

Spanish Swordfish Stew

Guiso española de pez espada

You will need:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 pound of potatoes, sliced
• 1 generous cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 20 black olives, pitted and halved
• 2 pounds swordfish, skinned and cut into bite-size pieces
• salt and pepper

Esta usted listo? Vamonos!

1. Heat the oil in a pan over low heat.
2. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until softened.
3. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Cover and let simmer gently for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in another pot with the stock and lemon juice.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the bell peppers. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Put in the olives, swordfish, and the tomato mixture with the potatoes. 
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir well, then cover and let simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the swordfish is cooked to your taste.
8. Remove from heat and serve!

So, once again, we bring to the table a very easy dish that can be enjoyed by many. This particular recipe serves up to 4 people. As I have stated before, feel free to double the recipe and to tweak it however you feel fit. Enjoy and I'll see you all again tomorrow! Adios!