Dinner: Fish Stew with Peppers, Almonds and Saffron

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon sweet pimentón de la Vera (Spanish smoked paprika)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
One 14-ounce can crushed Italian tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads crumbled into 2 tablespoons of hot water
1/4 cup salted roasted almonds
1 dozen littleneck clams, thoroughly scrubbed
1 1/4 pounds monkfish, trimmed of silver skin, meat cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole. Add the onion, bell pepper strips and garlic and season with salt and black pepper. Cover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, paprika and bay leaf and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and bring to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water and saffron water and bring to a boil. Cover the casserole tightly and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes.
Finely grind the almonds in a food processor. Stir the almonds into the stew and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the clams, cover and cook until most of them open, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the fish and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the fish is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer to bowls and serve.

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