Catalan Fish Stew Recipe
Suquet de Peix (pronounced soo-KET deh PESH) is a traditional Catalan fish stew with its history deeply rooted in the coastal cooking of northeastern Spain, and more specifically around the Barcelona area.
This dish was originally created in fishing communities that dot Catalonia’s Mediterranean coastline. Traditionally, it was created as a practical way to make use of leftover fish and shellfish that weren’t sold at market, reducing waste and making the most of what was available.
The term Suquet comes from suquejar, which means to release juices or simmer. The simmering and slow-cooked nature of this broth, combined with its hearty, fresh yet simple ingredients, transform this dish into something rich and delicious.
The dish’s distinctive flavour comes from the thick, savoury sauce which has been enriched with a paste called Picada. Picada is not only a sauce but a traditional Catalan cooking technique used to thicken sauces. Made from a blend of garlic, toasted almonds, parsley, and sometimes bread or saffron, it’s rich, aromatic and adds a savoury depth.
Not only is it deeply practical but it’s also deeply personal too, with dishes varying from family to family and even community to community. And its versatility is one of the reasons we love this dish as much as we do. We’ve made it with hake and clams, but you can substitute the fish for whatever you like or whatever is available at your fishmongers. Things like prawns, squid and monkfish all work amazingly well.
Over time, it’s evolved into the much-loved regional specialty that it is today, making its way onto restaurant menus and into our hearts. And we can’t wait for you to try it.
Have a go at our recipe below, then tag us in your creations using #AmbienteAtHome
…or you can find it on our menus as a special throughout May 2026*.
Suquet de Peix
Serves 4
Prep: 30mins
Cook: 20mins
See our Chef’s Notes below for Making Ahead
Caper Herb Butter
85g softened Salted Butter
3g Garlic, finely diced
3g fresh Dill, finely diced
3g fresh Parsley, finely diced
14g Capers
Juice of ½ Lemon
Zest of ½ Lemon
2tsp Olive Oil
1g or ½ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
2g Maldon Sea Salt
For the Picada
5g Garlic
18g Whole Almonds
Zest of ½ Lemon
18ml Olive Oil
4g fresh Parsley
1g Maldon Sea Salt
For the Fish Stew
50g finely diced White Onion
200g finely diced Beef Tomatoes
250g Waxy Potatoes, like Charlotte or Jersey Royal
A pinch of Saffron
260ml Fish Stock
126ml White Wine
500g Hake
300g Clams
5g finely diced fresh Parsley
Method
For the Caper Herb Butter
To make the caper herb butter, add all the ingredients to a bowl or food processor and mix together. Pop it in the fridge until you need it. Can be made a day in advance.
For the Picada
Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blitz to a paste. Keep to one side ready to make your fish stew.
For the Fish Stew
Finely dice the onion and tomatoes. Peel and chop the potato into 1cm cubes.
Head a heavy bottomed sauce pan to a medium heat and add a little oil. Sweat the onions until softened and just starting to colour. Add the tomatoes and cook for another few minutes until they start to break down.
Add the potatoes and saffron and cook for a few more minutes until the saffron starts to release its colour.
Add the fish stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the picada and stir. The sauce should start to thicken. Once it hits this point, turn it down to a rolling boil for another 15 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked.
Remove from the heat. Either cool and save until ready to cook or put it to one side while you start cooking the fish.
When you’re ready to cook
While your fish stew is cooking, fill a bowl with cold water and add the clams and a big pinch of salt. Agitate the clams in the water for a minute and then drain. Repeat this process until the water you pour away is clean.
Place a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat until it is hot. Season and lightly oil the fish fillets and lay skin side down in the hot pan. Make sure you lay them away from you so the oil doesn’t spit towards you. Cook skin side down for a couple of minutes until your skin is nice and crispy.
Once crispy, turn over the fish fillets and add in the clams. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the caper herb butter and cook for a further 5 minutes on a rolling boil.
Finally add in the fish stew mix and bring back to the boil. Once your fish is cooked, you’re ready to serve.
Remove the fish from the sauce and ladel the sauce into bowls, top with the fish fillets and garnish with fresh parsley.
Chef’s Notes
Make Ahead
The Caper Herb Butter, Picada and Fish Stew can be made ahead of time and kept up to 48 hours in the fridge until you’re ready to finish the dish and cook the fish and clams.
Ingredients
As the original Catalan Fish Stews, this dish works great with any white fish. Head to your fishmongers to see what their catch of the day is. Ask them to pin bone and scale the fish, then simply portion into equal size fillets. Similarly, if you can’t get clams then mussels, squid or prawns would all work really well.
If you really feel like putting the extra effort in, this dish is really elevated by making your own fish stock. But, if you dont want the extra hassle or you’re short on time, then you can get a good liquid fish stock from the supermarket.
Cooking
When you cook your fish and you have flipped it over, make sure the sauce doesn’t go over the top of the fish or you’ll lose that nice, crispy skin.
What Drink goes with Catalan Fish Stew?
When enjoying a Catalan dish, do as the Catalonians and pop a bottle of Cava!
This sparkling wine is a perfect pairing. Its high acidity and effervescence cut through the richness of the hearty tomato- and almond-based broth. We love Vilarnau Brut Nature Gran Reserva, which you can find on our menu.
It’s a perfect pairing with our Suquet de Peix, which is a special in all our restaurants throughout May 2026.
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