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Seafood Stew Recipe

Seafood Stew

Wholesome Cove
This hearty seafood stew combines tender shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and firm white fish in a rich, saffron-kissed tomato broth built on a fragrant base of fennel, garlic, and white wine. It's a one-pot coastal classic that delivers restaurant-quality depth of flavor in under an hour — impressive enough for dinner guests, yet forgiving enough for a weeknight meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6 servings
Calories 385 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot - At least 6-quart capacity
  • Sharp chef's knife - For chopping vegetables
  • Cutting board
  • Wooden spoon - For stirring
  • Seafood deveiner - (optional) If cleaning your own shrimp
  • Small bowl - For holding prepped seafood
  • Ladle - For serving
  • Kitchen towel - For cleaning shellfish

Ingredients
  

For the Broth Base

  • 3 tbsp olive oil - 45ml
  • 1 large yellow onion - diced, about 2 cups / 300g
  • 4 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 fennel bulb - thinly sliced, about 2 cups / 240g
  • 1 red bell pepper - diced, about 1 cup / 150g
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes - 28 oz / 794g
  • 1 cup dry white wine - 240ml; Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc recommended
  • 4 cups seafood stock - 960ml
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and black pepper - to taste

For the Seafood

  • 1 lb firm white fish - 450g; cod, halibut, or snapper, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1/2 lb large shrimp - 225g; peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 lb sea scallops - 225g
  • 1 lb mussels - 450g; scrubbed and debearded
  • 1/2 lb clams - 225g; scrubbed

For Finishing

  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley - 15g; chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil - torn
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice - 30ml
  • crusty bread - for serving

Instructions
 

  • Dice the onion, fennel, and bell pepper into ½-inch pieces; mince the garlic; cut fish into 2-inch chunks and pat all seafood completely dry. Scrub mussels and clams under cold running water, removing mussel beards, and discard any that don't close when tapped.
  • Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering, then add onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add fennel and bell pepper and cook another 5 minutes, then stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Pour in white wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom, and simmer 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, bay leaves, oregano, red pepper flakes, and smoked paprika; bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the white fish to the simmering broth and cook for 3 minutes, then add shrimp and scallops and cook 2 more minutes without stirring. Nestle mussels and clams hinge-side down into the pot, cover, and cook 5–7 minutes until shellfish open and shrimp are pink; discard any shellfish that remain closed.
  • Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and stir in lemon juice, parsley, and basil. Ladle into wide shallow bowls ensuring each serving gets a variety of seafood, and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Notes

  • Use the freshest seafood available — visit your fishmonger on the day you plan to cook and ask what came in that morning.
  • Don't skip the 20-minute broth simmer before adding seafood; this is when the flavors fully develop and meld together.
  • Maintain a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) when cooking the seafood — vigorous boiling toughens seafood and clouds the broth.
  • Pat all seafood completely dry with paper towels before adding to the pot to prevent the broth from becoming watery.
  • Frozen seafood works well — thaw overnight in the refrigerator and pat very dry before using.
  • The broth base can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; reheat to a simmer and add fresh seafood just before serving.
  • Refrigerate leftover stew in an airtight container for up to 2 days; reheat gently over low heat or microwave at 50% power in 30-second intervals.
  • Do not freeze the stew with seafood in it — freeze the broth base only (up to 3 months), then add fresh seafood when reheating.
  • For a Cajun variation, replace oregano with Cajun seasoning and add sliced andouille sausage; for a French bouillabaisse, add saffron, orange zest, and a splash of Pernod.
  • Add lemon juice at the very end — adding acid too early can make the broth taste metallic.

Nutrition

Serving: 1BowlCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 45gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 185mgSodium: 890mgPotassium: 820mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 85mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 45mg
Keyword Mediterranean fish stew, one pot seafood dinner, seafood stew, shellfish stew, tomato seafood broth
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