Acropolis Seafood Recipe

Clean and pat dry

Rinse shrimp, fish, calamari and mussels under cold water. Discard any mussels with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. Pat all seafood dry with paper towels; place in a large bowl.

Marinate seafood

In a small bowl whisk together 3 tbs olive oil, 3 tbs lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh oregano, parsley, dried oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp black pepper and 1.5 tsp salt. Pour half of the marinade over the seafood, toss gently to coat, cover and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes while you prepare the base (do not marinate longer than 30 minutes as acid will firm the fish too much). Reserve the remaining half of the marinade for later.

Sauté aromatics and peppers

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add the red bell pepper strips and cook 3–4 minutes until slightly softened.

Add tomatoes and deglaze

Stir in the halved cherry tomatoes and cook 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Pour in 1 cup dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Allow wine to reduce by about half, roughly 3–4 minutes.

Add stock and simmer

Add 1 cup fish or vegetable stock and lemon zest. Bring to a gentle simmer and taste; adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. Let the base simmer 3 minutes to meld flavors.

Cook mussels first

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the mussels to the simmering base, cover the pan and steam 4–5 minutes until they open. Remove any that remain closed. Transfer opened mussels to a bowl, leaving liquid in the pan.

Cook fish, shrimp and calamari

Lower heat to medium. Add the fish chunks to the simmering broth and spoon some broth over them. Cook 3 minutes, then gently add the shrimp and calamari rings. Cover and simmer 3–4 more minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque, calamari are tender (not rubbery), and fish flakes easily. If needed, return mussels to the pan to warm through for 1 minute.

Finish with reserved marinade

Stir in the reserved marinade and the tablespoon of butter into the pan, simmer 30 seconds to emulsify and round the sauce. Taste and adjust salt, pepper or lemon if needed.

Plate the seafood and broth into shallow bowls, distributing shrimp, fish, calamari and mussels evenly. Spoon the tomatoes and peppers over the top.

Crumble 1 oz feta cheese over the bowls, sprinkle the chopped parsley and a little extra lemon zest if desired. Serve each portion with a lemon wedge and toasted bread or grilled pita to soak up the broth.

Leftover storage: cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently over low heat to avoid overcooking seafood.