Spanish Seafood Stew
Equipment
- Frying pan, large and shallow
- Knife
- Lid
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 fennel bulb sliced
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 16 large mussels live, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Small bunch parsley chopped
- 16 large prawns raw and peeled
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons sherry
- 200 g squid cleaned and sliced
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large shallow frying pan.
- Add the garlic and fennel and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, sherry, sun-dried tomato paste and water and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the mussels, cover with a lid and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
- Stir in the prawns and squid and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes, until the prawns are pink and the squid is cooked through.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Spanish Seafood Stew immediately while the mussels, prawns and squid are hot and tender. Crusty gluten-free bread is ideal for soaking up the tomato and sherry sauce. It also works well as a Main Course with a simple Salad alongside.Recipe Notes
Check the live mussels carefully before cooking. Discard damaged mussels and any open mussels that do not close when tapped. After cooking, discard any mussels that remain closed. Add the prawns and squid only during the final few minutes. Both cook quickly and can become tough when left in the hot sauce for too long.Variation
For the seafood salad variation, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and briefly cook 2 chopped garlic cloves. Add 16 large raw peeled prawns and 300 g cleaned sliced squid and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Toss with 2 torn romaine lettuces and 50 g mangetout, then finish with fresh lime juice. This variation contains approximately 165 calories per serving.Storage Advice
This Seafood dish is best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in an airtight container and use within 1 day. Reheat gently until thoroughly hot, taking care not to overcook the seafood.Wine Advice
A fresh Albariño is an excellent match for mussels, prawns and squid and fits naturally with the Spanish character of the dish. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc is another good option, particularly with the fennel, tomato and parsley.Nutrition values
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About Spanish Seafood Stew
Spanish Seafood Stew combines mussels, prawns and squid with cherry tomatoes, fennel, garlic and sherry. These ingredients create a colourful Seafood dish with distinctly Mediterranean flavours. The tomato sauce provides sweetness and acidity, while fennel adds a gentle aniseed character and sherry gives the sauce additional depth.
A Spanish-Inspired Seafood Combination
The mixture of shellfish, squid, tomatoes, garlic and sherry gives this dish a clear connection with Spain. Rather than relying on a heavy sauce, the recipe keeps the seafood at the centre and uses relatively simple ingredients to build flavour around it.
Mussels provide a briny flavour, prawns add sweetness and squid contributes a firmer texture. Using several types of seafood makes the finished dish more interesting without requiring a complicated preparation.
Building the Tomato and Fennel Sauce
The cooking begins with sliced garlic and fennel gently softened in olive oil. Giving the fennel enough time to soften is worthwhile because its flavour becomes sweeter and more delicate as it cooks.
Cherry tomatoes, sherry and sun-dried tomato paste are then added. The mixture simmers for about 20 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to soften and the flavours to concentrate before the seafood is introduced.
Cooking the Mussels
Mussels go into the pan first because they need slightly longer than the prawns and squid. Covering the pan traps steam and helps the shells open. Most should open within 5 to 6 minutes.
Always inspect mussels before and after cooking. Discard any damaged mussels and any open ones that fail to close when tapped before cooking. Mussels that remain closed after cooking should also be discarded.
Adding Prawns and Squid
Prawns and squid need only a short cooking time. They are added once the mussels have opened and usually require another 3 to 4 minutes. The prawns should turn pink and become opaque.
Avoid extending this final cooking stage unnecessarily. Squid in particular can become rubbery when overcooked, while prawns lose their delicate texture.
Serving the Seafood
This recipe makes a flavourful Main Course for four people. Serve it directly from the pan or divide the seafood and tomato sauce between shallow bowls.
Crusty gluten-free bread is particularly useful for soaking up the sauce. A simple vegetable or green salad can also be served alongside without competing with the seafood.
A Lighter Seafood Salad Variation
The original recipe includes an alternative seafood salad using prawns and squid. Garlic is briefly cooked in olive oil before the seafood is stir-fried and combined with romaine lettuce and mangetout. Fresh lime juice provides the finishing acidity.
At approximately 165 calories per serving, this variation is lighter than the main recipe and provides another way to use a similar combination of seafood.
Fresh Parsley for the Finish
Chopped parsley is added only at the end of cooking. This keeps its colour and fresh flavour intact and provides contrast with the rich tomato sauce.
Taste the sauce before adding additional salt. Mussels naturally contribute saltiness to the cooking liquid, so the finished dish may need less seasoning than expected.
Food Safety with Seafood
Keep all Fish and seafood properly chilled before cooking and avoid cross-contamination with foods that will be eaten without further cooking. Cook prawns until opaque and ensure the seafood is served promptly after preparation.
For current information about selecting, preparing and storing seafood safely, consult the U.S. Food and Drug Administration food-safety information.
Spanish Seafood Stew is a relatively simple way to combine several types of seafood in one dish. Mussels, prawns and squid bring different flavours and textures, while fennel, tomato, garlic, sherry and parsley create the Mediterranean character that ties everything together.