Spanish Seafood and Fish Stew | Zarzuela de mariscos

Cut the sea bass fillets into larger, bite-sized pieces, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Clean the shrimp (if necessary) and rinse the mussels. Finely chop the onion, crush 2 cloves of garlic for the sauce, and set aside the other 2 cloves for the picada.

Prepare the Catalan almond thickener (picada): toast the almonds in a small dry pan until fragrant, then crush them in a mortar with the reserved 2 cloves of garlic, saffron, and half of the fresh parsley into a fine, creamy paste.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a wide pan or cast-iron pot. Add the sea bass pieces and shrimp, and sear for 1-2 minutes on both sides until a nice golden-brown crust forms (they do not need to cook through completely). Remove them to a plate and set aside.