This delicious seafood stew recipe takes inspiration from French bouillabaisse and features a light and flavorful white wine and fennel broth.
If you enjoy seafood, there is something truly special about a bowl of perfectly cooked seafood stew. Our version skips the tomatoes and instead focuses on white wine, garlic, and fennel. The broth resembles our steamed mussels recipe but utilizes homemade seafood stock (which is simple to make).
When serving this stew, be sure to have some crusty bread on hand to soak up all the delicious broth. Homemade focaccia bread would also be a fantastic accompaniment!
Key Ingredients
- Fish: Opt for flaky white fish such as cod or halibut for this stew. They cook beautifully in the broth and impart a delicate flavor.
- Shellfish: A combination of shrimp, mussels, and clams works wonderfully. Keep the shrimp tails on, scrub the mussels and clams, and remove the beards from the mussels if needed.
- Aromatics: Shallot, fennel, celery, and garlic form the base of this stew, offering a delicious flavor profile. These aromatics are similar to those used in poached salmon.
- Seafood Stock: While store-bought seafood stock is an option, making your own is preferred for its unbeatable flavor. The recipe below outlines how to create your own seafood stock using fish bones and shrimp shells.
- White Wine: Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay for the stew. If using store-bought stock, check the tips section for when to add a splash of white wine.
- Spinach or Kale: Adding baby spinach or kale just before serving provides a pop of color and quick wilting in the hot broth.
- Cream: While optional, a splash of cream at the end adds richness and balances out the flavors of the broth.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Seafood Stew
Tip 1: Make homemade fish stock (it’s easy). While store-bought stock works, creating your own fish stock adds extra depth of flavor to the stew. Simply follow the instructions below to make fish stock using fish bones and shrimp shells.
Begin by cooking bacon in a pot, then use the rendered fat to sauté shallot, carrots, and celery until soft. Add fish bones, shrimp shells, and herbs, cover with water, simmer, and strain. This homemade stock serves as the base for your stew.
Tip 2: Build the stew in layers. Start by sautéing the aromatics, then add wine and seafood stock, bringing it to a simmer. Add clams first, followed by shrimp, mussels, and fish. Finish by incorporating greens and a touch of cream for a luxurious broth.
More Easy Seafood Recipes
White Wine Seafood Stew
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This light and simple fennel-infused stew with fish and shellfish is a delightful option. If time permits, prepare your seafood stock for an extra special touch. The homemade fish stock recipe provided yields about 10 cups, with 4 cups needed for the stew. The stock can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for several months.
4 to 6 Servings
You Will Need
For the Stew
3 tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 pound small clams, cleaned
1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled, use the shells for seafood stock
1 pound mussels, cleaned
1 pound flaky white fish like cod or halibut, cut into 4 portions
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups seafood stock, try homemade (recipe below)
1 pound baby spinach or kale
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Baguette, sliced and toasted for serving
Lemon wedges for serving
Homemade Seafood Stock (Optional)
2 pounds white fish bones
Shells from 1/2 pound of shrimp
2 slices thick-cut bacon
2 large shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
10 black peppercorns
Directions
- Make Seafood Stock (Optional)
1In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate, but leave the fat. (You can use bacon in another recipe or as a cook’s snack.)
2Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the bacon fat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for 5 minutes, then add the fish bones, shrimp shells, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 10 cups of water.
3Bring to a simmer. Cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes, removing any scum that rises to the top. Strain, then use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly covered container for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Make Stew
1Melt the butter in a wide pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, and celery. Add a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until softened and sweet, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the wine and cook for 5 minutes.
2Pour in 4 cups of seafood stock and bring to a simmer. Add the clams, cover, and cook for 3 minutes.
3Meanwhile, season the shrimp and fish with salt and pepper.
4Add the shrimp and mussels. Arrange the fish on top of the stew and scatter the greens around the pot. Cover and simmer until the shellfish opens and the fish and shrimp are firm and opaque, about 5 minutes more.
5Remove the pot from the heat, and then stir in the cream. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper. Serve divided between bowls with bread for dipping and lemon wedges on the side.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Stock: Our homemade stock takes 45 minutes and uses the shells from peeling the shrimp and fish bones. I buy fish bones at the seafood counter (they are inexpensive). You can substitute store-bought stock or light chicken broth.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1/6 of the recipe
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Calories
377
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Total Fat
12g
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Saturated Fat
5.7g
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Cholesterol
161.9mg
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Sodium
1321.3mg
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Carbohydrate
13.5g
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Dietary Fiber
3.2g
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Total Sugars
2.6g
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Protein
47.5g
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