Combinado Marino Recipe

Prepare seafood

Rinse shrimp, calamari, mussels and fish pieces under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Discard any mussels that are open and do not close when tapped. Place all seafood in a large bowl.

Marinate seafood

In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Toss seafood gently with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes (no longer than 30 minutes to avoid 'cooking' the seafood).

While seafood marinates, mix remaining marinade ingredients: in a small bowl combine remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp chopped parsley and remaining seasonings (if any). Reserve this to finish the dish and to drizzle over at the end.

Build the sauce

Heat a large sauté pan or shallow Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 2 tbsp unsalted butter. When butter foams, add the finely chopped shallot and sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent (do not brown). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in the cherry tomatoes and cook 4–5 minutes until they begin to soften and release juices. Add 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. Pour in 120 ml white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits; let wine reduce by half (about 2–3 minutes).

Add the seafood/fish stock and remaining 1 tbsp lemon juice and lemon zest. Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and adjust seasoning with remaining 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper if needed.

Cook seafood in sauce

Bring sauce to a gentle simmer. Add mussels first, cover and cook 3–4 minutes until most mussels have opened (discard any that remain closed). Add marinated fish pieces and calamari rings, simmer uncovered 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, about 2–3 minutes more. Total cooking time is short — seafood should be just cooked through. Stir in 1 tbsp chopped parsley just before removing from heat.

Spoon the Combinado Marino (seafood and sauce) into warm shallow bowls. Drizzle the reserved marinade/seasoning mixture over each portion for bright flavor. Garnish with the remaining parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately with crusty bread or toasted baguette slices to soak up the sauce.

Optional: For a slightly richer finish, swirl 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter into the sauce off the heat before plating to give it a glossy finish.