Appetizing Spanish Seafood Stew

The Spanish seafood stew is one of the best seafood dishes worldwide, and it also is an icon that represents Andalusia, especially the port area of Southern Spain.

This seafood meal stands out from other seafood recipes because it doesn’t require much effort, there comes one point where the recipe is basically to throw everything in a pot.

So if you aren’t a skilled chef and you want to try other recipes, or you simply love seafood, then you are in the right place, because here I’ll teach you how to cook seafood, a little bit about the Spanish seafood stew history, and more. 

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Background of the Dish

Seafood stew has existed forever in the history of mankind. In the first vestiges of the beginning of life in society, any type of soup was the most consumed dish.

The now-famous seafood stew recipe was created in the coastal areas of Andalusia.

This is because there was an immense amount of seafood available, and it was something that families in the area could easily cook.

There are other similar dishes like the Mediterranean seafood stew that was also developed around the same time. 

Over time the Spanish seafood stew reached all parts of the world, but it continues to serve to represent the south of Spain worldwide.

If you are a stew lover, you must try the oxtail stew, Spanish chicken stew, or the wholesome pork stew at least once, and you will definitely feel like an Andalucian.

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Things You’ll Need for Spanish Seafood Stew

In the same way that it happens with other seafood dishes, to make this Spanish seafood stew you will need different types of seafood ingredients. 

Anyways, they are easy to find at any store in the world, and still, there are plenty of replacements that you can make.

If you are looking for seafood dinner ideas, let me tell you that with this dish you found the perfect one! 

You will have a restaurant-quality dish done in a short amount of time and with the minimum level of effort. 

Ingredients

• 200 gr squid
• 200 gr shrimp
• 300 gr clams
• 300 gr  mussels
• 200 gr peeled prawns
• 2 onions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup (150ml) of white wine
• 3 (300 gr) tomatoes
• 1 can (200 gr) of peas 
• 2 lemons
• 2 cups (480ml) water or broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon saffron
• Olive oil

How to Make Spanish Seafood Stew – Step by Step Guide

1. To start making the best seafood recipe, wash all seafood well and reserve them. If necessary, brush the clams (they may have sand). Remove the skin from the squid and cut it into slices.

2. After that, chop the tomatoes into small cubes and the onion, bell pepper, and garlic into small pieces.

3. Put a pot with a splash of olive oil and cook the chopped garlic, onion, and bell pepper until the onion is transparent. Add the diced tomatoes and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

4. Up next, add the wine, water or broth, herbs, and seasonings to the pot. Cover and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes over medium/low heat.

5. Then add the clams and cook for 5 minutes to open. Those that remain closed must be discarded (since they are not well for human consumption). Add the squid, shrimp, mussels, and prawns. Let cook for 10 more minutes over low heat.

6. For the final step, add the peas and stir. As an optional step, you can serve it with lemon wedges and sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

Substitution of Ingredients

This is truly one of the best Spanish seafood recipes because you can do many replacements and you’ll still get an amazing seafood stew.

The first and most simple substitution is to replace any seafood ingredient for a similar one, for example, if you don’t like shrimp you can replace it by adding more clams. 

Apart from that, this is a pretty healthy seafood dish, but you can make it even healthier by replacing the olive oil with cooking spray and using water instead of broth.

If you liked this recipe then I encourage you to try other Spanish seafood dishes such as Spanish Seafood Soup, Gambas al pil pil, Spanish Garlic Shrimp, Cazon en Adobo, and my personal favorite, the Fried Baby Squid.

And the Spanish fish stew is a must-try as well when it comes to seafood recipes.

The Spanish clams are also a delicious seafood dish if you want something more simple. The Spaniards like to prepare this dish for Christmas dinner.

Tips on Serving Spanish Seafood Stew

Here I’ll give you some how-to serve seafood ideas. For example, you can serve it in small bowls and top them with some shredded parmesan cheese on top. 

Besides that, you can eat it at lunch or dinner, and as a starter or as a main dish, it is completely up to you. 

You can turn this into a summer seafood recipe if you let it cool in the fridge and you serve it to call. 

There isn’t any contraindication against eating cold fish (there are different types of seafood with cold fish), so just enjoy it. 

If you go to a restaurant and check the seafood specials, you’ll see that the Spanish seafood stew is commonly served alongside bread toasted with olive oil and garlic, so you can do that at home and have an amazing dinner.

The Spanish lentils recipe is also a must-try if you are into stews and hearty meals.

How to Store Spanish Seafood Stew

As well as other types of seafood, you can both store it in the fridge or freeze the Spanish seafood stew. 

You can let it cool at room temperature and then take it to the fridge where it will last up to 4 days.

You can also let it cool and freeze it for up to one month, remember that tasty seafood will remain tasty even if you freeze it so you don’t have to worry about that. 

Just make sure to unfreeze only the amount that you will eat. 

Recipe Card: Spanish Seafood Stew

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