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
If you´re not already subscribed to my youtube channel, become a subscriber and click on the bell icon to be notified everytime I release a new video.
Support Spain on a Fork. Get your Spain on a Fork T-shirt and other awesome Merchandise here.
Join Me on Patreon!
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Get the Saffron Threads I used to make this recipe
Disclosure: At Spain on a Fork, we offer affiliate links to help you find what you need to re-create our recipes. If you like what we do, you can support us through our chosen links, which earn us a commission, but you still pay the same price. Learn more here.
You May Also Like
Thava
Thanks, Can i use canned chopped tomato or fresh tomato instead of tomato sauce? Thanks
22 . Dec . 2023Spain on a Fork
Absolutely! Much love 🙂
23 . Dec . 2023Classic Spanish Seafood Stew | A Timeless Recipe from Barcelona Spain – Pregnancy And Diet
[…] to Make a Classic Spanish Seafood Stew | Zarzuela de Pescado y Mariscos Recipe FULL RECIPE HERE: https://www.spainonafork.com/classic-spanish-seafood-stew-recipe SAFFRON I USED: https://www.goldensaffron.com/ FISH BROTH I USED: https://amzn.to/3n6391V SUPPORT […]
30 . Apr . 2023margaret Southall
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
20 . Apr . 2023Spain on a Fork
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂 Much love
21 . Apr . 202315 Wonderful Spanish Seafood Recipes To Make In 2022
[…] 9. Spanish Seafood Stew […]
23 . Apr . 2022Sibylle
This looks delicious! Is it possible to replace the fresh clams with frozen clams?
23 . Nov . 2021Spain on a Fork
Absolutely! Just cook them the same, though they will release extra water into the stew, unless you thaw them out first 🙂 much love
23 . Nov . 2021Charles Pascual
27 . Oct . 2021Straight-forward recipe, easy prep, comes together as quickly as Albert describes. Delicious dish – closer to four servings but who’s complaining?