Marmitako!

As a curious cat, I’m very interested in Martin’s cooking. You see, I love my humans, and I naturally like to know what they’re having for their dinner. That doesn’t mean that I would always want to eat it.

This weekend, though, M cooked a dish any cat would be delighted to find in his food bowl. Marmitako (great name!) is a rough-and-ready Basque fisherman’s stew. To make it you throw onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes into a pot (a “marmita”, which is where the name comes from), cook it all together until the spuds are nearly done and then – and this is the really good bit – add big chunks of fresh tuna. Another few minutes on a low heat and it’s ready. Now, with a dish like that, we could all eat together as a family! My sister and I would enjoy the fish, and Annie and Martin could tuck into the potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and what-not. Perfect! (They didn’t see it that way, though and we got our usual – coley fillets for me and Felix for Chutney – while they ate the whole Marmitako combo, tuna and all.)

You can change the spicing and the quantities of supporting ingredients if you like, but stick with a 1x1 ratio of potatoes and fish. This is how M made it on Sunday, if you’d like to have a go.

For two people - or one person and two cats - you need:

250g fresh tuna steaks
250g potatoes, little new ones left whole or halved, bigger ones peeled and sliced
A small onion (or half a large one), sliced finely
Four cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
A sweet pepper, any colour, sliced
A fresh chilli, sliced finely, or a dried chilli, crumbled
About 75g chopped tomatoes (it’s fine to used tinned)
A glass of white wine
Paprika, preferably the smoked Spanish variety called “pimenton”, about half a tsp
Salt, pepper, to taste
Olive oil
A little water or fish stock if necessary

Fry the chopped onions in abundant olive oil in a stove-to-table pot until soft and golden. Add garlic, sliced pepper and chilli, and cook for a few minutes. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, paprika and wine, bring to the boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are pretty close to done. Add water or stock, to keep the potatoes just covered, if and when necessary. Cut the tuna steaks into chunks (or leave whole, it’s up to you) and place on top of the hot stew. Replace the lid and simmer for five minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to rest for five minutes. Serve with bread, salad and wine, and eat with a fork or paw.