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Marmitako
marmitakoa (Basque) / marmitako
The Basque fishermen's stew of potatoes cooked in a pepper and tomato base, with cubes of tuna added only at the end and left to finish in the residual heat. The recipe is from the Basque Government's tourism board; Spain's tourism portal adds the cooking time and summer season.
- Servings
- 4
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 30 min
- Resting
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Difficulty
- Easy
Equipment
- Wide casserole with a lid
Ingredients
Method
If making stock, simmer the tuna skin and bones in a little water and strain.
Fry the onion and garlic gently in a little olive oil. When the onion is soft, add the green and red peppers and the choricero flesh, then the tomatoes, and keep frying over a low heat.
Why A slow sofrito is the flavour of the stew; the choricero gives colour and a mild, sweet pepper taste.
Add the potatoes and cover with the stock or water. Bring to the boil, season, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
Timer · 25 min25:00Season the tuna cubes and add them. Cover the pan, turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes for the tuna to finish cooking.
Why Tuna dries out quickly; the heat of the stew cooks it just through.
Timer · 10 min10:00
To drink & serve with
- Txakoli
Editorial suggestion: a young Txakoli from the Basque coast.
Substitutions
- Choricero peppers → Spain's tourism portal uses roasted, peeled red peppers passed through a food mill instead.
- Bonito → Any firm tuna.
Common mistakes
- Boiling the tuna with the potatoes: it turns dry and stringy.
- Stirring hard: the potatoes break up; shake the pan instead.
Storage & reheating
Best freshly made. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within a day; reheat gently until steaming hot.
Safety
Contains fish. Tuna is a scombroid fish: buy it very fresh and keep it cold until cooking. Check that the cubes are opaque through before serving (63 °C, US FDA).
Allergens
Fish
Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.
Dietary
gluten-free · dairy-free
Cooked in the pot, eaten in summer
Marmitako is the Basque name for a stew "of the pot" (marmita). The Basque Government's tourism board gives the coastal recipe: a slow base of onion, garlic, green and red peppers, dried choricero pepper and tomato, potatoes simmered in water or in a stock made from the tuna trimmings, and the tuna added at the very end. Spain's official tourism portal lists it as a dish of the País Vasco for spring and summer, the bonito season, with about 30 minutes of cooking.
The usual story is that it was cooked on board by tuna fishermen; that is tradition rather than documented history.
Turn off the heat
The key step is the last one. Tourism Euskadi adds the seasoned tuna cubes, covers the pan and turns off the heat, leaving the fish for ten minutes to finish cooking. This keeps the tuna moist, which matters because tuna dries out fast. Spain's tourism portal does the same by laying the bonito on top when the potatoes are almost done and covering the pan.
How it connects
Place
- origin Basque Country In preparation
Wine region
- pairs with Txakoli