Best Fish Stew Recipes

EASY FISH STEW WITH MEDITERRANEAN FLAVORS

Steps:

• Place the garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle, and mash to a paste. Add the anchovy fillets and mash with the garlic. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the onion, celery and carrot with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the pureed garlic and anchovy. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is very fragrant, about one minute, and then add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit and the mixture smells aromatic, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the water, potatoes, salt (to taste) and the bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low, cover partially and simmer 30 minutes. Taste, adjust salt and add pepper to taste. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper, and stir into the soup. The soup should not be boiling. Simmer five to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets) or just until it flakes easily when poked. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, taste once more, adjust seasonings and serve.

SIMPLE FISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan, add the fennel seeds, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook for 5 mins until starting to soften. Tip in the leeks, tomatoes and stock, season and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15-20 mins until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened and reduced slightly.
• Add the fish, scatter over the prawns and cook for 2 mins more until lightly cooked. Ladle into bowls and serve with a spoon.

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• Make the farofa if desired: Melt butter in a skillet or shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in manioc and cook, stirring, 5 to 8 minutes, until it starts to toast. Cover and keep warm.
• Make the fish broth: Cut each bass fillet in 4 or 5 pieces, cover and refrigerate. Place trimmings in a 3-quart stovetop casserole, preferably an earthenware pot. Lightly salt shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Place shells in the pot. Add 5 cups water; the bay leaves; the turnip; 2 onions, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; half the shishito peppers; the garlic; and half the cilantro and chives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a slit in the skin of the plantain, wrap in foil and bake 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Cool.
• Strain broth into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids and return broth to pot. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.
• Slice remaining tomatoes and remaining onion 1/4 inch thick and add to pot. Add bell peppers, Cubanelle peppers, remaining shishito peppers, remaining chives and all but 1 tablespoon remaining cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Peel plantain and slice it 1/2 inch thick. Add to pot. Add coconut milk and dende oil. Add fish and octopus, if using, and simmer 5 minutes. Rinse and dry shrimp and squid, if using, and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes. Check seasonings. Strew remaining cilantro on top, garnish with a red chile and serve over rice directly from the pot, with farofa and piri-piri on the side.

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA FISH STEW

Steps:

• Cut the bacon slices into 1-inch squares. Brown them in the bottom of a 10-to-12-quart stockpot over medium heat. Once bacon is crisp, remove it and reserve, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. Whisk the tomato paste into the fat, making sure you scrape up all the brown bits left from browning the bacon.
• Turn the heat off and begin layering the ingredients in the stockpot. Start with a layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of onions and garlic, followed by a layer of fish. Top the fish with roughly a third of the salt, a third of the chile flakes and 1 bay leaf. Repeat this layering process two more times.
• Fill the pot with enough cool water to just barely reach the top of the fish. (If there's a little fish peeking out over the top, that's O.K. - better than if it's swimming in water.) Cover the pot with a tightfitting lid and slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. (Throughout the cooking, resist the urge to stir.) Once it starts to boil, reduce heat and let it cook, covered, at a high simmer for about 15 minutes. Check the potatoes for doneness. They should be barely tender, not falling apart.
• Use a large spoon to remove the fat from the surface of the soup, and discard. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed. Then, with the stew at a good simmer, add the eggs one by one in a single layer over the top. (Crack each egg into a small cup before dropping it in.) Cook the eggs for 5 minutes until they are lightly set.
• As soon as the eggs are lightly set, use a large ladle to portion out the stew. A proper serving is at least half a fish steak, some potatoes, some onions and an egg swimming in broth. Shower each bowl with bacon, and serve immediately with a piece or two of bread, if desired.

CHEF JOHN'S BRAZILIAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• Bring water and rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook and stir just until onions start to get soft, 3 or 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking about 3 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and add soy sauce. When mixture starts to bubble, let it simmer about 5 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and green onions. Let mixture come back to a simmer. Transfer fish to skillet; stir. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until fish starts to flake, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt, cilantro, and lime juice; stir carefully to avoid breaking up the fish. Serve with rice.

FISH STEW

Steps:

• Cut the fish fillets into 3-inch pieces. Season with 1 tablespoon of the rub. Set aside in the refrigerator. Make a roux by combining the oil and flour in a large cast-iron or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir slowly with a wire whisk or wooden spoon for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the roux becomes dark brown, the color of chocolate. Add the celery, onions, bell peppers, and chilies. Cook, stirring often, for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the bay leaves and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, and the remaining 1 teaspoon rub. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until a thin oil film appears on the surface. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking. Increase the heat to medium, add the broth, salt, and cayenne and cook for about 15 minutes. Lay the fish in the mixture and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. During the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add the green onions and parsley. Remove the bay leaves. Serve hot.

EASY FISH STEW

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat.
• Add onion, celery and chili powder, sauté 3 minutes or until tender.
• Stir in the corn, Worcestershire sauce, diced tomatoes, 2 cups water, cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the fish, and cook for 3 minutes or until fish is done.
• Taste and add salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
• Stir in parsley.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH STEW WITH GARLIC TOASTS

Steps:

• To make the garlic toasts, drizzle the bread with oil, then griddle or grill until golden all over. While the toasts are still hot, rub them with garlic and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wide, deep frying pan. Add the onion and cook over a gentle heat for 5 mins until softened. Stir through the garlic and chilli and cook a couple of mins more. Add the tomato purée and tomatoes. Turn up the heat and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring until the tomatoes are pulpy. Pour over the wine and cook for 10 mins more until most of it has boiled away.
• Add the fish stock and orange zest and heat until gently simmering. Nestle the halibut chunks into the liquid and cook for 5 mins. Add the clams and prawns and cook for 5 mins more until the fish is cooked through and the clams have opened (discard any that haven't). Sprinkle the parsley over the stew and serve with the garlic toasts.

ITALIAN-STYLE FISH STEW

Steps:

• Marinate the fish: Cut fish into 2-inch chunks and place in a medium bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add half the chopped thyme, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the lemon slices. Toss to coat and set aside for 30 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 8 hours).
• Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, stirring, 5 or 6 minutes.
• Add reserved thyme, minced garlic, saffron, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, bay leaf and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add wine, tomatoes and stock or water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust; the broth should be well seasoned. (This seasoned base may be prepared up to 1 day in advance, if desired.)
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange fish, clams and lemon slices in the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch baking dish or a wide earthenware casserole of similar size. Ladle the broth over everything, cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until clams have opened and fish flakes easily.
• Toast the bread and rub each slice with garlic. Sprinkle parsley over the soup. Serve in low soup bowls, giving each guest some fish, clams, broth and garlic toast.

SLOW-COOKED FISH STEW

Steps:

• In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 15 ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender., Remove bay leaf. Stir in cod, tomatoes and milk; cook, covered, 30-35 minutes longer or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork.

TUSCAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• Puree cherry tomatoes and clam juice in a blender until smooth. Press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
• Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, green onions, garlic, anchovy, and 1 pinch red pepper flakes in a cold plan. Place over medium heat. Cook and stir until garlic and onions just start to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer stew until color deepens, about 10 minutes.
• Add halibut and shrimp to the stew. Season with salt. Increase heat to high. Cover pan and cook until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, oregano, and rosemary. Pour stew into a warm bowl. Drizzle in remaining olive oil and sprinkle 1 pinch red pepper flakes on top. Serve with crusty bread.

BRAZILIAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• Stir together the lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the tilapia and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes, up to 24 hours.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Quickly fry the onions in the oil 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the bell peppers, tilapia, and diced tomatoes to the pot in succeeding layers. Pour the coconut milk over the mixture. Cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cilantro and continue cooking until the tilapia is completely cooked through, another 5 to 10 minutes.

BRAZILIAN SHRIMP AND FISH STEW (MOQUECA)

Steps:

• Note from the test kitchen Pickled hot cherry peppers are usually sold jarred, next to the pickles or jarred roasted red peppers at the supermarket. Haddock or other firm-fleshed, flaky whitefish may be substituted for cod. We prefer untreated shrimp, but if your shrimp are treated with sodium, do not add salt to the shrimp in step 2. Our favorite coconut milk is made by Aroy-D. Serve with steamed white rice.
• 1. FOR THE PEPPER SAUCE: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Season with salt to taste and transfer to separate bowl. Rinse out processor bowl.
• 2. FOR THE STEW: Toss shrimp and cod with garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Set aside.
• 3. Process onion, tomatoes and their juice, and ¼ cup cilantro in food processor until finely chopped and mixture has texture of pureed salsa, about 30 seconds.
• 4. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add red and green bell peppers and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion-tomato mixture and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until puree has reduced and thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes (pot should not be dry).
• 5. Increase heat to high, stir in coconut milk, and bring to boil (mixture should be bubbling across entire surface). Add seafood mixture and lime juice and stir to evenly distribute seafood, making sure all pieces are submerged in liquid. Cover pot and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp and cod are opaque and just cooked through, 15 minutes.
• 6. Gently stir in 2 tablespoons pepper sauce and remaining ½ cup cilantro, being careful not to break up cod too much. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing remaining pepper sauce separately.

MOQUECA (BRAZILIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• Combine sea bass fillets, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Heat palm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, cilantro, green onions, parsley, and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add marinated sea bass and coconut milk. Reduce heat to low; cook for 12 minutes. Add shrimp. Continue cooking until sea bass flakes easily with a fork and shrimp is opaque, about 3 minutes more.

FISH TAGINE WITH OLIVES (MOROCCAN STEW)

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes & cut them into strips, about the size of a large french fry. Put them into a bowl & rinse. Then sprinkle paprika over the potatoes, turning them several times to make sure they are all covered.
• Place the tomato sauce, olive oil, water, tomato, onions, & spices in a medium or large tagine. Stir to mix all the ingredients, then lay the potatoes on top of the sauce. Cover & cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
• While the potatoes are cooking, mix the ingredients of the charmoula in a small bowl. Place the fillets into a shallow bowl or dish, pour half the mixture over top of the fish & let it marinate for 30 minutes.
• Boil the olives in a small sauce pan of water for 5 minutes to remove their bitterness. Once done, drain the water & stir the rest of the charmoula in with the olives, set aside to be used later.
• Stir the sauce in the tagine then place the fish fillets on top of the potatoes. Scatter the lemon & olives on the fish & pour all the remaining charmoula over the fish.
• Cover the tagine & continue to cook on low heat for another hour. The tagine is done once the potatoes are tender.
• Serve in the tagine with thick bread to scoop up the sauce & fish. Make sure you protect your table because the tagine will stay hot for a time.

BRAZILIAN FISH STEW (MOQUECA CAPIXABA)

Steps:

• Pat fish fillets dry and put in a bowl. Stir together lime juice, malagueta peppers, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, then pour over fish and toss to combine. Marinate, covered and chilled, 30 minutes. Add shrimp and chill at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 1/2 hours more.
• Put tomatoes in bottom of a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot. Top with onion and remaining tablespoon garlic, then sprinkle with bell peppers. Place plantains on top of vegetables. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange fish in 1 layer on top of plantain. Sprinkle cilantro and parsley over fish, then arrange shrimp in 1 layer over herbs, reserving marinade. Pour oil and marinade evenly over mixture in pot.
• Bring to a simmer, then cover pot. Adjust heat to gently simmer until vegetables are softened and have released liquid and fish is just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Serve stew over soft manioc polenta .

TOMATO FISH STEW

Steps:

• In a medium Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and black pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cayenne and cook for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup water, season with salt and black pepper, increase the heat to medium and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tilapia fillets one at a time and simmer until the fish is flaky and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

PROVENçAL FISH STEW

Steps:

• Drain chickpeas. If you used dried, reserve cooking liquid; if they are canned, discard the liquid and rinse the chickpeas. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it's hot, add bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they're crisp and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet; increase heat to medium-high. When oil is hot, add garlic, olives, capers and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, a minute or two. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until it darkens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Start adding spinach a handful at a time; keep stirring until all the spinach fits in the pan and starts to release its water; sprinkle with a little more pepper, then add the stock, chickpeas and red chile flakes if you're using them. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, then stir in the squid and the shrimp. Cook until the seafood is just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide among bowls, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.

CALDEIRADA DE PEIXE (PORTUGUESE FISH STEW)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium low heat, add onion, peppers, garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
• Add potato, tomato, wine, broth if using, bay leaves, peppercorns, and saffron; bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until potato is just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Arrange fish cubes over onion mixture, then layer on shrimp, then mussels and clams; cover, cook until shells open, about 6 to 8 minutes (discard any shells that do not open).
• Ladle stew into serving bowl and garnish with cilantro.
• Meanwhile, prepare the garlic toasts by rubbing the cut side of the garlic over the toast; serve with stew.

MOQUECA DE PEIXE BAIANA (BRAZILIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• Rinse sea bass under running cold water; pat dry. Place in a shallow dish and season with lime juice, garlic, and salt. Marinate for 30 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add grated onion and cook for a few seconds. Add fish and marinade to the skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in palm oil and onion rings, followed by water and coconut milk. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and green onions; cover and cook until vegetables are soft and flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes.