Classic Spanish Seafood Stew | A Timeless Recipe from Barcelona Spain
This Classic Spanish Seafood Stew, known in Spain as Zarzuela de Pescado y Mariscos, is easily one of Spain´s most iconic dishes. It´s packed with so many different layers of flavors, easy to make and done in 45 minutes. The perfect dish for a relaxed weekend lunch or dinner, next to a bottle of Spanish wine.
This seafood stew hails from the region of Catalonia, but more specifically, the beautiful province of Barcelona. It´s a dish you will find at many seaside restaurants all along the Mediterranean coast. Always served next to some fried potatoes and a classic Spanish salad.
The best part about this seafood stew, is that it´s all done using just pan. I used a large deep fry pan, but you can also use a stock pot. Serve it straight out of the pan or serve into shallow bowls. Either way, make sure to have a crusty baguette handy, to mop up all the seafood goodness.
TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: To make this dish, I used frozen cod and frozen shrimp that I thawed out. But you can also use fresh cod and/or fresh shrimp. I also used a cleaned tube of squid. You can usually find them in the freezer department at your local supermarket. If they don´t have it, check with your local Asian supermarket.
Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
MY NONSTICK FRYING PAN
EXTRA VIRGIN SPANISH OLIVE OIL
SAFFRON THREADS I USED
SPANISH PAPRIKA
FISH BROTH I USED
SPANISH SEA SALT
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Watch the Video Below on How to Make this Classic Spanish Seafood Stew
Classic Spanish Seafood Stew | Zarzuela de Pescado y Mariscos
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml
- 10 blanched almonds
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cleaned tube of squid
- 1 onion
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.30 grams
- 1 tsp dried thyme 1 gram
- 1/2 cup white wine 120 ml
- 1 cup tomato sauce 225 grams
- 1 1/2 cups fish broth 355 ml
- 1/4 tsp saffron threads .17 grams
- 14 oz cod fillet 400 grams
- 10 raw jumbo shrimp (peeled & deveined)
- 1 lbs fresh clams 1/2 kilogram
- 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley 12 grams
- sea salt
- black pepper
Instructions
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Heat a large deep fry pan or a stock pot with a medium heat and add in 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, after 2 minutes add in 10 raw blanched almonds and 4 cloves of garlic, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden fried all around, then remove from the pan and transfer into a mortar
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Using the same pan with the same heat, add in 1 cleaned tube of squid that´s been cut into thin rings, mix with the olive oil and cook for 1 minute, then remove from the pan and cover with foil paper
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Once again, using the same pan with the same heat, add in 1 onion roughly chopped and 1/2 red & 1/2 green bell pepper roughly chopped, mix with the olive oil, after 5 minutes and the vegetables are lightly sauteed, add in 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika and 1 tsp dried thyme, quickly mix together, then add in 1/2 cup white wine, after 3 minutes add in 1 cup tomato sauce and season everything with sea salt & black pepper, mix together and raise the heat to a medium-high heat
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While the tomato sauce is simmering, move back to the mortar with the almonds & garlic, add in 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley and a dash of sea salt, using a pestle pound down on the ingredients until you form a paste
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After simmering the tomato sauce for 10 minutes and it has thickend up, add in 1 1/2 cups fish broth, 1/4 tsp saffron threads and the almond & garlic paste, mix together, once it comes to a boil, place a lid on the pan and lower the fire to a low-medium heat
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Meanwhile, cut the cod fillet into 1 inch x 1 inch (2.50 cm x 2.50 cm) pieces and season with sea salt & black pepper, season 10 raw jumbo shrimp (peeled & deveined) with sea salt & black pepper and rinse 1 lbs fresh mussels under cold running water
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After simmering the broth for 10 minutes, add in the pieces of cod and the clams, place the lid back on the pan and raise the heat to a medium-high heat, after 4 minutes and all the clams have opened, add the shrimp and the reserved squid, cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the shrimp are fully cooked, remove the pan from the heat
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Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Get the Saffron Threads I used to make this recipe
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Thanks, Can i use canned chopped tomato or fresh tomato instead of tomato sauce? Thanks
Absolutely! Much love 🙂
Spanish food to me is the best in the world Each recipe is so tasty I developed my love for Spanish food through a dear Spanish friend and now I can copy their food because you put these recipes on line thank you so much and keep up the good work
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂 Much love
This looks delicious! Is it possible to replace the fresh clams with frozen clams?
Absolutely! Just cook them the same, though they will release extra water into the stew, unless you thaw them out first 🙂 much love
Straight-forward recipe, easy prep, comes together as quickly as Albert describes. Delicious dish – closer to four servings but who’s complaining?