Having traveled to Spain one of the things I remember most was the amazing seafood that was served. And Spanish Seafood Stew was one of the dishes that I enjoyed the most and ordered more frequently.
Lisa and I love to travel and one of our dream locations had always been Spain. A few years ago we made that dream come true.
The culture, the food and the beauty of Spain is simply amazing and the people are some of the friendliest we’ve ever encountered during our travels.
I love traveling because not only do I get to sample delicious dishes, I get to attend events like the Flamenco show we enjoyed in Madrid.
If you love seafood stews, you have to try my delicious cioppino recipe, it is soooo good!
What do I need to make a Spanish Seafood Stew?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Spicy Spanish Seafood Stew. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place”, which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
- Start the process by thoroughly rinsing the clams and mussels.
- Peel and devein the shrimp and pat the cod and shrimp with paper towels.
- Season the cod and shrimp with sea salt and black pepper.
How do I make Spanish Seafood Stew?
- Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and when it heats up add the diced onion, garlic, and sliced fennel. Sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add smoked paprika, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan. Add white wine to deglaze the pan.
- Add tomatoes, chicken broth, saffron and season with sea salt and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
- Add the cod, shrimp, clams and mussels to the pan.
Cover the pan and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes or until the clams and mussels have opened.
Serve up the seafood with all the delicious juices and garnish with parsley. Serve with your favorite crusty bread and you’ve got a hearty meal that can be prepared in about a half-hour.
It’s perfect for your next date night or small dinner gathering, it’s really that easy to make.
Recipe FAQ’s:
Classic Spanish Seafood Stew, known in Spain as Zarzuela de Pescado y Mariscos, is easily one of Spain´s most iconic dishes. This seafood stew comes from Barcelona in the Catalonia region of Spain. It can be made with a variety of fresh seafood and is generally made with a tomato-based broth.
When it comes to Spanish seafood stew, any type of seafood can be used to make this classic fisherman dish. Calamari, shellfish, and your favorite pieces of fish can find their way into this timeless classic.
Spanish seafood stew can be as spicy as you like or not at all. It’s a personal preference. It’s a misconception that Spanish food is hot, spicy can mean spices that tantalize the tastebuds without excessive heat.
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Spanish Seafood Stew
Ingredients
- 12 raw fresh mussels
- 12 raw fresh clams
- 8 (raw) jumbo shrimp peeled & deveined
- 8 ounces cod fillet
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small bulb fennel thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅓ teaspoon thyme fresh or dry
- ¼ cup white wine
- 15 ounce diced tomatoes canned
- 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) more if you like it extra spicy
- ½ teaspoon saffron threads
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅙ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the clams and mussels in cold running water to remove all the grit and sand from the shellfish.
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Pat dry the cod fillets with paper towels. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan and when it heats up add the diced onion, garlic, and sliced fennel. Sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add smoked paprika, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan. Add white wine to deglaze the pan.
- Add tomatoes, chicken broth, saffron and season with sea salt and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
- Add the cod, shrimp, clams and mussels to the pan. Cover the pan and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes or until the clams and mussels have opened.
- Garnish the seafood stew with chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread.
Pauline
I made this a few weeks ago – everyone loved it and some had a second bowl.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my seafood stew!
Gerrie
I love making white chippino
Mary B
Can previously frozen seafood be used?
Chef Dennis Littley
you can use previously cooked seafood. You won’t get the same flavor but it can be used.
Christie B
I made this for our Christmas Eve dinner. Wow is it good! So glad I found your website. We made your Coq au Vin on Christmas Day. Thanks Chef for the great recipes!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed my recipes, Christie I hope you find many more to enjoy!
Wendy
I made this one okay and it is amazing. Thank you so much for the Recipe! Made our evening special.
rika
This stew looks so good! I love seafood soup and I do get heartburn after eating tomato-based soup!