Caldomares Recipe

Rinse mussels under cold water and remove any beards; discard any with cracked shells or that don’t close when tapped. Pat all seafood dry with paper towels. Cut fish into 2" pieces; if octopus is large, slice into 1"-1.5" pieces. Split crab legs lengthwise for easier eating.

Mince garlic, finely chop onion, carrot, celery and red pepper. Chop parsley and measure out spices, stock, wine and tomatoes.

Sweat vegetables

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook 2 more minutes.

Add garlic and spices

Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Deglaze & simmer

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Allow the wine to reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the tomato passata (or crushed tomatoes) and bay leaf, then pour in the fish stock and the additional 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and taste; add about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper now, adjusting later.

Lower the heat and let the broth simmer gently for 10 minutes to marry flavors.

Cook octopus first (if using pre-cooked octopus skip to next step)

If using raw octopus and it’s not pre-tenderized, add it to the simmering broth first and simmer gently for 20–30 minutes until tender. If your octopus is pre-cooked/tender, add it later with the other seafood.

Add firm fish and crab legs

Add the firm white fish pieces and split crab legs to the simmering broth. Simmer gently for 5–6 minutes—just until fish is opaque and crab begins to infuse the broth.

Add shrimp, scallops and mussels

Add the shrimp and scallops and tuck the mussels into the broth so their shells touch the liquid. Cover the pot and cook for 4–6 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and opaque, scallops are firm and mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that do not open.

If octopus was pre-cooked, add it now with parsley so it reheats through for 1–2 minutes without overcooking other seafood.

Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, butter (if using), lemon juice and the remaining chopped parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If broth is too intense, add up to 1/4 cup water; if it needs more acidity, add a splash more lemon or a teaspoon of white wine vinegar.

Let the stew rest for 2 minutes to allow flavors to meld and seafood to finish cooking from residual heat.

Ladle CALDOMARES into wide shallow bowls so each portion has a mix of seafood. Spoon broth over the seafood and garnish with additional chopped parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread or garlic toasts to soak up the broth.

Suggested accompaniment: a wedge of lemon per bowl and extra hot sauce or aioli at the table.