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Seafood stew is another one of my family’s favorite comfort one-pot meals to enjoy, especially growing up on the coast of Savannah, GA. Contrary to some southern belief, seafood stew actually has a long history that dates back to ancient times. In fact, many cultures have traditional seafood stews, and they range from simple soups made from fish and shellfish to complex dishes with exotic ingredients. Some of these cultures include the Greeks, Romans, even medieval Europe.
Seafood stews in Greece typically include ingredients such as octopus, mussels, fish and sometimes squid with spices for flavor. Italians are also known for including a variety of seafood in their seafood stew, including shrimp, octopus, mussels, clams, and fish. The style of their stew is usually richly made with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and various herbs such as parsley, basil, white wine, and crusty bread to soak up the flavorful broth!
However, the recipe I’m sharing below is a beloved family recipe with a southern twist. It’s very simple and full of flavors that pay homage to all things seafood. I have two rules when making my seafood stew:
Seafood Stew Rule Number One:
(1) Flavor, flavor, and more flavor! Don’t be boring and use water as a base for your stew. Enhance the flavor of your stew by using seafood broth and / or clam juice.
Seafood Stew Rule Number Two:
(2) Try to use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Frozen seafood is okay, but have fun and include a variety of fresh seafood to truly bring out the flavors of this stew. The recipe I have below should be viewed as a template. If you want fish, add fish. If you like squid, add squid. The secret to this amazing recipe is the broth and tasting as you go. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do!
Mixed Seafood Stew Recipe:
Easy & Rich Mixed Seafood Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small Sweet Onion, chopped
- 4 stalks Celery, chopped
- 1 whole Bell Pepper, chopped
- 16 oz Fresh Shrimp, raw, peeled, deveined, chopped
- 13 oz 13 oz Turkey Kielbasa Sausage
- 12 oz Fresh Lump Crabmeat
- 32 oz Seafood Stock
- 8 oz Clam Juice
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 6 tbsp Butter
- 6 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp Old Bay
- 1/2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1/2 tsp Light Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Chop 13 oz Turkey Kielbasa Sausage into small cubes and set aside. Clean and devein shrimp. Season shrimp with fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 tsp Cajun Seasoning and 1/2 tsp Old Bay. Set aside. Chop 1 small sweet onion, 4 stalks of celery, and 1 bell pepper. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add chopped turkey Kielbasa sausage to heated pot and cook until brown. Drain and set aside
- Using the same pot, heat 6 tbsp of butter large pot over medium heat. Gradually sprinkle 6 tbsp of all-purpose flour into the butter and begin stirring immediately. Use a wire whisk if you are making your stew in a metal pot, or a wooden spoon if making it in a ceramic-coated one. The flour butter mixture will begin to thicken up rather quickly. Keep stirring constantly at this point to prevent it from burning. This process will determine the thickness and color of your stew. Continue stirring until it has a 'peanutty' smell, and is dark brown, about 10 minutes.
- Once the desired color is reached, add chopped sweet onion, chopped celery and chopped bell pepper. Stir to cool flour butter mixture. Once ingredients are combined, add 32 oz of seafood stock, 8 oz of clam juice and 1 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce. Stir and combine. Once combined, add remaining Old Bay and Cajun Seasonings, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and bay leaf. Cover with pot lid and bring ingredients to a slight boil, then reduce heat.
- Once heat is reduced, add cooked Turkey Kielbasa Sausage, chopped shrimp, and lump crab meat. Allow ingredients to cook together and stir occasionally until shrimp is cooked. Turn off heat, remove bay leaf, optionally serve with rice. The flavors of this stew intensify if refrigerated overnight. Enjoy!
Nutrition
My Amazon Favorites From This Recipe:
This sounds so yummy and delicious. I’m saving it to make next week! I’m already looking forward to it!
Dang, this looks good! I’ve been craving a really hearty stew recipe lately! Thanks so much for sharing!
I’ve never made a seafood stew before. I am definitely intrigued! I love everything in it so I’m sure I’d love the dish.
That looks and sounds delicious! This is something we’d totally make.
This recipe is packed with wholesome ingredients like vegetables and shrimp. i cannot wait to try it.
One of my goals for 2023 is to continue to focus on the quality of food I’m purchasing and serving my family. This is one of them.
This seafood stew recipe was a hit with my family! The combination of flavors was simply amazing. I love how easy it was to prepare, and it looked and tasted like a gourmet meal.
This looks so yummy, I don’t cook a lot of sea recipes but could try this one. Thank you for sharing!
Hhhhmmmm….this must be nice! I’ve never had turkey sausage before. I wanna make this dish soon. Thanks for the recipe.
Comfort food at its best! I also make something similar (shrimps, clams, crab meat) and I thicken the broth my adding one egg and whisking it in.
Looks jam packed full of goodness. We’d try this seafood stew.
This looks like a delicious recipe! I adore seafood but I am totally rubbish at preparing it! So this looks like something I would like to do!
I have never thought to make a seafood stew! So yummy!
Ooh! I’ve made stews before but never with seafood. I need to try this recipe sometime!