Mediterranean Seafood Stew Recipe

Clean and portion seafood

If not already cleaned, rinse mussels under cold water and remove beards; discard any open mussels that do not close when tapped. Pat prawns and seabass dry with paper towels. Cut seabass into 1-inch chunks. If octopus is raw, ensure it is cooked tender (simmer 45–60 minutes) before adding; otherwise use pre-cooked octopus cut into 1-inch pieces.

Season prawns and seabass lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside. Keep all seafood refrigerated until ready to add to the stew.

Sauté aromatics

In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot or deep skillet, heat 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft, about 6–8 minutes. Add minced garlic and bay leaf and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze and build sauce

Pour in the 120 ml dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in 1 tbs tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the 400 g crushed tomatoes and 250 ml fish or vegetable stock, then sprinkle in dried oregano, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered 10 minutes to thicken slightly.

Finish with cream

Reduce heat to low and stir in 120 ml heavy cream. Simmer gently 2–3 minutes more to marry flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes if desired.

Add spinach and mussels

Stir the 3 cups washed baby spinach into the simmering tomato cream sauce in batches; the leaves will wilt quickly. Push the spinach down so it is submerged. Add the cleaned mussels and cover the pot. Steam until the mussels open, about 4–6 minutes. Discard any mussels that remain closed.

Add prawns, seabass, and octopus

Uncover and nestle the seasoned prawns, seabass chunks, and cooked octopus into the sauce. Cover and simmer gently until prawns turn opaque and pink and seabass is cooked through, about 4–6 minutes (timing will depend on piece size). Do not overcook — seafood should be tender and just cooked.

Taste the broth and adjust acidity with a squeeze of the lemon juice. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Prepare yoghurt-feta garnish

In a small bowl, combine 200 g plain yoghurt with half of the crumbled feta (about 50 g), 1 tbsp chopped mint, a pinch of lemon zest, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until slightly smooth — it should be tangy and creamy.

Plate stew

Ladle the seafood stew into warm shallow bowls, making sure each portion gets a mix of mussels, prawns, seabass, and octopus and plenty of sauce and wilted spinach.

Garnish and serve

Dollop about 1–2 tbs of the yoghurt-feta mixture onto each bowl. Sprinkle remaining crumbled feta (about 50 g) and 1 tbs chopped parsley over the stew. Drizzle 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil across all bowls and scatter remaining chopped mint and a little lemon zest on top. Serve immediately with crusty bread or grilled pita to soak up the sauce.