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Our Spanish curry treats a selection of spicy chorizo, succulent king prawns and mussels to a fiesta of coconut milk and warming Indian spices. Inspired by a Goan fish curry and a Catalan fish stew, we’re using the essential Spanish ingredients of pimentón, saffron and garlic to flavour an aromatic coconut curry creating the essence of Goa and Spain in one dish.
A fusion of flavours - how we love it
What’s really special about this dish is that if you close your eyes and think of the blue azure of the Catalan coast, you could be sitting on a seaside terrace dining on a sumptuous Spanish stew, yet with another thought of palm trees and white sand you are instantly transported to the beaches of Goa where wonderful fragrant spices fill the air. This pleasing confusion of the senses will have you wondering - is this a rustic Catalan fish stew or is this a Goan fish curry? What it is though a harmony of both - and that is a Spanish curry.
Spain has a rich history with bold flavours. Ingredients such as saffron, oranges and almonds which are thought of as innately Spanish were introduced by the Moors who brought exotic spices and ingredients from North Africa and the Middle East. They heavily influenced the whole terroir of Spanish culture with their architecture, music and food which remain to this day. Seville oranges, paella, romesco de peix and tarte de almendras, for example, are all Spanish staples that are attributed to Moorish influence. It is this already highly flavoured cuisine with its use of exotic herbs and spices in its traditional dishes that makes it the perfect candidate to expand on and introduce even more spiced pairings with.
Catalan stew meets Goan curry – a Spanish curry is born
Romesco de peix, or Catalan fish stew showcases many of these fabulous ingredients to flavour the fish, shellfish and chorizo with. The paprika, saffron and nuts used are commonly seen in Indian curries too, so it is a natural evolution to combine them both.
A Goan fish curry itself is a fish stew that is highly spiced and shares many similarities with a Catalan fish stew. Both have a broth-like consistency that is thickened with almonds and both are highly flavoured. The creaminess is the difference which comes from coconut cream in the curry, something which can also pair ever so well with the ingredients in romesco de peix.
The elements in both dishes just work ever so well together. Starting with the medley of smoky paprika-spiced chorizo, succulent tiger prawns and briny, sweet mussels, a combination that works so well it adorns not only a Catalan fish stew but a traditional paella, we then hit that with our combination of Indian and Moorish influenced Spanish flavours. If you want to add cubes of fish as well, by all means do. Monkfish, cod or turbot are great additions but this medley is filling enough.
Uniting the flavours for a Spanish curry
We have pimentón, a paprika that adds sweet spice and smoke and saffron for that signature perfumed allure that marries perfectly with the Indian spices of cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek and curry leaves. When this symphony of spices starts to release their flavour in a base of sauteed shallots, garlic and tomato we add a good chicken stock and a sweet and creamy coconut milk, the flavours meld together with a crescendo. The juxtaposed textures from the tender grainy chorizo and juicy prawns and plump mussels complement each other and all benefit from a final flourish intrinsic to both Indian and Spanish cuisine of roasted red peppers and a scattering of crushed sweet nuts such as almonds or pistachios as we’ve used in this recipe as a homage to its Moorish heritage.
How to make Spanish curry
Starting with a hot pan or casserole dish you can place on the hob and a drizzle of olive oil, we first sear off cubes of cooking chorizo so that they start to caramelize with a firm crust and release their spicy, highly flavoured red oil. Cooking chorizo is a more traditional sausage which requires cooking rather than cured chorizo which can be consumed straight away. The texture is softer and far better for hot dishes than its cousin which would be too tough if cooked. After a minute of frying, we remove the chorizo cubes and set them aside leaving all that highly spiced oil which will flavour the rest of the ingredients. Next, we prepare some raw tiger prawns to cook in the oil. To do this we keep the heads on but remove the rest of the shell down the tail for a striking visual appearance for the finished dish. We also devein the prawns by running a knife down their back and removing the intestinal tract which not only removes a slightly gritty texture but it also gives the prawns an appetizing almost butterflied look.
Adding a knob of butter to the oil we then throw the prawns straight in a fry until the flesh turns white and covered in the beautiful golden red oil. Once cooked, which will only take a couple of minutes, we also remove them from the pan and set aside with the chorizo so we can then add them again at the end.
We now have this wonderful buttery oil which has been flavoured by the chorizo and prawns to use to cook the base of our Spanish curry. First, we add finely diced shallots followed by some freshly grated garlic, tomato puree and our selection of Indian spices.
What spices to add
For these spices, a combination of cumin, coriander/cilantro, turmeric, fenugreek and curry leaves are used. We especially like the fenugreek and curry leaves flavours as they add a complex bitter, tangy and burnt sugar dimension to the dish. You can use a good masala or mild madras curry powder otherwise, but we have scaled back on the heat by omitting chilli. By doing this you can really savour the aromatic nature of the Spanish and Indian flavours individually without being overburdened with heat.
The ingredients after a minute or so of frying will be quite a dry mix, when this happens we add 400ml of good chicken stock with which we have already added some strands of saffron and reduce lightly for 5 minutes to fully infuse with all the flavours. The coconut milk goes in towards the end so that it remains sweet and not too thick in texture keeping a broth-like consistency. After 10-12 minutes of simmering, we are now ready to start finishing the dish. For the mussels, as this Spanish curry recipe is for two people, we are using 400g which you can generally find in a box of pre-cooked mussels. If you are scaling this up for more people, then by all means source fresh mussels which would normally be sold by the kilogram. Fresh mussels will take approximately 7 minutes to cook whereas pre-cooked only need to be re-heated for a couple of minutes which is the only time needed to re-heat the chorizo, prawns and some slices of roasted red pepper from a jar.
When everything is all nice and hot, sprinkle over some crushed almonds or pistachios and serve. Either use a hob-to-table casserole dish or decant it into a ceramic serving dish. It’s one of those centre-piece dishes that look just amazing.
What to have on the side
The dish is certainly filling enough to enjoy by itself, but if you want something on the side, then a bowl of saffron rice works or why not try some Indian-style patatas bravas by boiling some cubes of potato with added turmeric, then air-frying or roasting them with a seasoning of salt and paprika. Otherwise simply serve with crusty bread, either way, we’re sure you’ll love this Spanish curry.
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Spanish curry recipe
Ingredients
- 8 shell on tiger prawns
- 400 g of cooked mussels
- 75 g of cooking chorizo cubed
- ½ tablespoon of mild madras curry powder or a mix of cumin, coriander/cilantro, turmeric, fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon of pimenton / smoked paprika
- 12 strands of saffron
- 2 curry leaves
- 4 shallots diced
- 1 clove of grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
- 400 ml chicken stock
- 400 ml of full-fat coconut milk
- 1 roasted red pepper from a jar sliced
- 1 tablespoon of crushed almonds or pistachios
Instructions
- Drizzle some olive oil into a hob-safe shallow casserole dish or large frying pan. Bring up to heat and add the cubed chorizo. Fry for 1 minute until browned having released a deep golden red oil. Remove the cubes from the pan and set aside.
- Remove the shells from the tiger prawns leaving their heads attached. Devein the prawns by running a sharp knife down the back and removing the insteninal tract. Fry the prawns for approximately 2 minutes until the flesh turns opaque and coloured in the oil. Remove the prawns and set aside.
- Add a knob of butter to the oil and add the onions and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Stir in the curry powder/ spices and tomato puree.
- Prepare 400ml of chicken stock and add the saffron to infuse. Pour this stock into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and curry leaves and stir to thoroughly mix. Simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Add the cooked mussels and fried chorizo and arrange the prawns and sliced roasted red pepper over the top and place a lid on top. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle over crushed almonds or pistachio and serve.
Notes
This Spanish curry is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 36 hours. If reheating, remove the mussels first and gently warm the sauce over low heat on the stovetop. Once heated through, add the mussels back just before serving to avoid overcooking. Avoid freezing, as seafood can become rubbery when defrosted.
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