Gazpacho de Mero Recipe: Alicante Seafood Stew Classic 2026

Gazpacho de mero is a hearty Alicante seafood stew where firm, flavorful grouper meets squid for a deep, intense taste of the sea. Its base is a slow-cooked sofrito of onion, peppers and garlic, loosened with fish broth and perfumed with saffron, bay leaf and fresh rosemary or thyme.

What makes it special is the finish: torn tortas cenceñas, the traditional gazpacho cakes, are stirred in at the end so they drink up all the juices and add a satisfying contrast of textures. It is a comforting homemade dish that comes together in under an hour.

If grouper is hard to find at your fish counter, monkfish or swordfish work beautifully in its place. Some versions of this dish also add shrimp or clams, so feel free to keep it simple or dress it up as you like. Serve it with crusty bread to mop up the broth.

Ingredients for Gazpacho de Mero

Serves 2 as a main course.

• 1 ñora (dried sweet pepper)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 250 g grouper, cut into pieces (monkfish or swordfish as a substitute)
• 250 g squid, cleaned and cut into pieces
• 1 onion
• ½ green bell pepper
• ½ red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 150 g crushed tomato
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary or thyme
• A few saffron threads
• 600 ml fish broth
• 80 g tortas cenceñas (traditional gazpacho cakes)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

How to Make Gazpacho de Mero Step by Step

1. Soak the ñora

Start by soaking 1 ñora in hot water for about 20 minutes. This softens the dried pepper so you can use its pulp to give the stew its color and gentle sweetness.

2. Scrape out the ñora flesh

Once the ñora is soft, open it up, remove the seeds and scrape out its flesh with a knife. Set the flesh aside for later.

3. Sear the grouper and squid

In a wide casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and briefly sear 250 g of grouper pieces and 250 g of cleaned squid for about 1 minute. Then remove them from the pan and set aside.

4. Finely chop the vegetables

Finely chop 1 onion, ½ green bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper and 2 garlic cloves. Keeping the pieces small helps them melt into the sofrito.

5. Sauté the vegetables

In the same casserole, add the chopped vegetables and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they are tender and starting to turn translucent.

6. Add the ñora flesh and tomato

Next, add the ñora flesh and 150 g of crushed tomato. Let the sofrito cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomato loses some of its water and acidity and blends together well.

7. Pour in the broth and aromatics

Once the sofrito is ready, add 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme, a few saffron threads and 600 ml of fish broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes so the flavors meld together.

8. Return the squid and grouper

At this point, add the squid and grouper back to the casserole and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Grouper is delicate and should not cook too long, or it will fall apart.

9. Stir in the tortas cenceñas

Then stir in 80 g of tortas cenceñas and let everything cook together for about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring gently so the cakes absorb the broth without losing their texture. Be careful not to overcook them or they will become too soft.

10. Season and serve

Taste the stew and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaf and the herbs before serving.

Tips for the Best Gazpacho de Mero

Choose the right fish

Grouper has firm, flavorful flesh that holds up in the stew. If you can't find it, monkfish or swordfish are excellent substitutes, and some versions of the dish also include shrimp or clams.

Use good homemade broth

The broth is the backbone of this dish, so homemade fish broth makes the biggest difference. It carries the saffron, herbs and tomato through every spoonful.

Don't overcook the tortas

Add the tortas cenceñas near the end and stir gently. They should soak up the juices while keeping some texture, so watch the clock and pull the pot off the heat in time.

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