Seafood Recipe

Prepare and dry seafood

Pat shrimp, scallops, fish chunks, and calamari (if using) dry with paper towels. Inspect for any remaining shells or tendon on scallops and remove. Place all seafood in a large bowl.

Season the seafood lightly with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper to start — more seasoning will be added after cooking if needed.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs lemon juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 tsp sea salt, remaining 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 2 tbs chopped parsley.

Pour half of the marinade (about half the mixture) over the seafood and toss gently to coat. Let the seafood marinate at room temperature for 10–15 minutes (no more than 30) — scallops and shrimp only need brief time to absorb flavor.

Cook aromatics

Bring a large skillet or sauté pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter. When the butter melts and starts to foam, add the chopped shallot and sauté 1½–2 minutes until translucent but not browned.

Sear seafood in batches

Wipe the pan briefly with a paper towel if it becomes crowded. Add a small amount of oil if needed. Add the marinated fish chunks in a single layer and sear 1½–2 minutes per side until golden but still firm (they will finish cooking in the sauce). Remove fish to a plate. Add another 1 tbs butter, heat until foaming, then add scallops and sear 1½–2 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. Remove scallops. Finally, quickly sear shrimp 1–1½ minutes per side until just opaque, then remove. If using calamari, sear 30–45 seconds per side — they cook very fast and become rubbery if overcooked.

Deglaze and build sauce

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining marinade to the pan and scrape up browned bits. Pour in 120 ml dry white wine and bring to a simmer, scraping the pan for 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly. Add 120 ml fish stock and simmer 2–3 minutes to combine and reduce by about a third.

Finish sauce

Stir in 120 ml heavy cream and 1 tsp lemon zest. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Turn heat to low.

Combine seafood and sauce

Return the seared fish, scallops, shrimp, and calamari to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Warm through gently for 1–2 minutes — do not boil. Spoon sauce over the seafood so everything is coated and heated through. Stir in remaining 1 tbs chopped parsley and 1 tbs butter to finish for gloss.

If serving with pasta: cook 300 g pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 120 ml (about 1/2 cup) pasta cooking water. Toss drained pasta into the seafood pan off the heat, add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce, and toss until evenly coated.

If serving with crusty bread: transfer seafood and sauce to a shallow serving dish for sharing. Serve with lemon wedges and extra chopped parsley. Have crusty bread on the side for sopping up the sauce.

Serve immediately, 4 lemon wedges per plate or platter. Offer extra red pepper flakes and fresh parsley at the table.