Coastal Seafood Stew

A great seafood stew begins with a deeply flavorful broth — one that can stand on its own before a single piece of fish ever touches the pot. Softening onions and garlic before pouring in a generous splash of dry white wine lifts all the savory goodness from the bottom of the pan, creating a bright backbone that beautifully balances the briny clam juice.

Building on that foundation with Cajun seasoning, chili sauce, and crushed tomatoes gives the broth its signature warmth. Simmering everything for a full twenty minutes concentrates the spices and sugars into a rich, velvety base capable of supporting a generous haul of fresh seafood.

Layering the Seafood Just Right

Here is the real secret to this stew: adding the seafood in stages. Clams and mussels go in first because they need a bit more time to steam open and release their wonderful briny liquor directly into the simmering sauce. Drop them in, cover the pot, and give them a few minutes' head start.

Next come the scallops and shrimp, followed by the cubed white fish, so that every piece of seafood reaches perfect doneness at the same moment. Pull the pot from the heat the instant the clams open wide, and you are rewarded with tender, melt-in-your-mouth seafood in every spoonful.

Jorj Morgan

Coastal Seafood Stew

This Coastal Seafood Stew transports you to sun-drenched shores with its deeply aromatic, spicy tomato broth and a lavish medley of perfectly poached clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and flaky white fish. It’s an inviting, vibrant dish, perfect for sharing.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Broth Base Liquids & Aromatics

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion finely diced (about 1 ½ cups)
• 4 medium garlic cloves peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 8-ounce bottles clam juice
• 1 ½ cups dry white wine
• 1 cup high-quality chili sauce

Broth Herbs, Spices & Seasonings

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
• 2 dashes hot pepper sauce plus more to taste
• Kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste

The Seafood Sequencing

• 1 pound fresh clams scrubbed
• 1 pound fresh mussels scrubbed and debearded
• 1 pound large fresh shrimp about 20 count, peeled and deveined
• 1 pound fresh sea scallops
• 1 pound fresh white fish fillets snapper or cod, cut into uniform 1-inch cubes
• Crusty French bread or sourdough for serving

Method

 

Make the Broth

1. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the diced yellow onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and highly fragrant, about 8 minutes.
3. Pour in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, clam juice, and dry white wine. Bring the entire mixture to a vigorous, rolling boil.
4. Stir in the chili sauce, tomato paste, Cajun seasoning, fresh basil, parsley, oregano, and hot pepper sauce.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, cover partially, and simmer the broth aggressively for 20 minutes to evaporate the sharp alcohol notes and deeply concentrate the flavors. Season to taste with kosher salt and coarse black pepper.

Add the Seafood

1. The success of the stew relies on staggering the addition of the seafood based on their required cooking times. First, gently place the hard-shell clams and mussels directly into the simmering sauce. Cover and simmer for exactly 3 minutes.
2. Next, fold the peeled shrimp and the sea scallops into the hot liquid. Cover and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Finally, gently fold the cubed white fish (snapper or cod) into the stew. Simmer for a final 3 to 5 minutes.
4. The stew is finished the absolute moment the fish turns fully opaque and flakes gently, the shrimp are bright pink, and the clams and mussels have opened their shells wide. (Discard any clams or mussels that refuse to open).
5. Remove the pot from the heat immediately to prevent the delicate seafood from becoming tough and rubbery.
6. Ladle the deeply fragrant stew into wide, shallow bowls and serve immediately alongside thick slices of crusty bread to absorb the rich, complex broth.