A delicious recipe for stewed fish in tomato sauce, a quick dish bursting with Mediterranean flavor. A light and healthy recipe.
I love anything with fish, but stewed fish or fish soups are my favorite ways of enjoying it. I grew up eating loads of stews; they are something familiar and comforting, with well-known tastes and textures that remind me of my childhood.
I never had fish stew as a kid, but I've been cooking different kinds of fish or seafood stews for as long as I have been cooking. From the famous Brazilian moqueca de peixe and vegetable fish soup to calamari stew or this simple Mediterranean stewed fish.
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📋Ingredients and substitutions
🐟Fresh or frozen fish?
- Fresh seafood is great, but let's be real—it's often twice the cost of frozen. Especially if you're far from the sea or in an area not big on seafood, finding fresh can be tough. Frozen is my go-to; it's not only more affordable but also convenient. I keep various types in my freezer, ready for fish stew anytime.
- As for shrimp, it's always the frozen kind for me. Honestly, I can't recall the last time I spotted fresh shrimp at our local supermarket.
- Seafood: Choose a firm fish for your stewed fish - halibut, cod, pollock, tilapia, haddock, or bass work well. Feel free to combine different types for variety. While salmon isn't a white fish, it adds great flavor when combined 1:1 with one of the mentioned white fish.
- For a tasty twist, swap half of the fish with shrimp; it's a version we absolutely love.
- Use fish stock if you have it; if not, vegetable stock works. Try our homemade salmon stock.
- Dry white wine - it's not a must, but it balances the caramelized sugar well.
- Vegetables: Use onion, garlic, and a small amount of carrots and celeriac in your fish stew. Substitute celeriac with celery sticks or parsley root. Adjust the spiciness by using fresh chili to taste; red chili flakes or cayenne pepper are alternatives.
- Omit chili for a milder fish stew, especially if serving to children.
- Herbs: Include dried herbs such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, and bay leaves in your recipe. An Italian or French herb blend, like Herbs de Provence, works too - ensure bay leaves are included.
- Alternatively, use fresh herbs to make this fish stew, especially during spring and summer when they're abundant in your garden.
- Other ingredients: Chopped tomatoes from a can, olive oil, a little sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
👩🏻🍳How to make stewed fish?
- Defrost seafood.
Tip: Preferably slowly in the refrigerator, overnight, or over several hours. When you are pressed for time, leave it at room temperature and spread it in one layer on some kitchen paper.
- Chop the onions and set them aside. Chop the carrots, celeriac/celery, garlic, and chili very well, and keep them separated from the onions.
- Saute the onions with a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes on medium-low heat. (1)
- Add the rest of the diced veggies, stir well, and cook for another 5 minutes or until the onions are perfectly soft. (2)
Tip: Keep in mind that once you add the wine and the tomatoes, the onions will not soften anymore; the acidity of those mentioned will prevent that.
- Add the sugar and let it caramelize (2 minutes). Pour in the wine and let it reduce. Add tomatoes, stock, and dried herbs. Stir well and cook on medium-low heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes; the sauce should be slightly thickened. (3)
- Add seafood: In the meantime, cut the fish into pieces, about 4-5 cm/ 1 ½ – 2-inch pieces. Add all seafood to the pot and stir very gently. Simmer the stewed fish on low heat for 3-4 minutes. (4)
Tip: Don't overcook the stewed fish, or it will become tough. Keep in mind that it will continue cooking in the sauce during the time you bring the pot to the table and serve it. Try this Romanian Fish Soup with Potatoes, too.
❓Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend it; the fish will get tougher when reheating.
However, you can prepare the stew in advance, and stop before adding the seafood. Add the fish and shrimp and finish cooking the recipe just before serving.
Fish stock enhances the overall flavor. If unavailable, you can use vegetable or chicken stock as an alternative.
Serve the stewed fish immediately with crusty white bread or baguette. Alternatively, serve it with rice; we love to combine it with brown rice. If serving with brown rice, keep in mind that this sort needs about 30 minutes of cooking time, so start cooking it when you start with the stew as well.
Leftovers can be reheated, but the fish will be a little tougher. Despite that, it will still taste delicious.
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Stewed Fish
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion about 150 g/ 5.5 oz
- 1 carrot about 150 g/ 5.5 oz
- 1 small piece celeriac or 1-2 celery sticks about 75 g/ 2.5 oz
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 long red chili to taste, Note 1
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup dry white wine 150 ml
- 2 cans chopped tomatoes each 400 g/ 14 oz
- 3 cups fish stock or vegetable stock, 700 ml
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano Note 2
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 lb firm white fish fillets 450 g, Notes 3,4,5
- 1 lb shrimp 450 g
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- some parsley
Instructions
- Defrost seafood completely. Chop the onions very finely and set them aside. Chop the carrots, celeriac/celery, garlic, and chili very finely as well, set aside.1 lb firm white fish fillets/ 450 g + 1 lb shrimp/ 450 g 1 medium onion + 1 carrot + 1 small piece celeriac or 1-2 celery sticks + 3 large garlic cloves + 1 long red chili
- Saute onions: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or another large, thick-bottomed pot. Saute the onions with a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes on medium-low heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the remaining vegetables, stir well, and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the onions are perfectly soft. Stir often and add a splash of the wine or stock if they threaten to catch.
- Add the sugar, stir, and let caramelize slightly for about 2 minutes.1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Pour in the wine, turn the heat a bit up, and let the wine reduce completely; it will take about 1-2 minutes. ⅔ cup dry white wine/ 150 ml
- Simmer stew: Add tomatoes, fish stock, and dried herbs. Stir well and cook on medium-low heat, uncovered for about 10 minutes, the sauce should be slightly thickened. If you think it thickens too much, cover the pot partially with the lid.2 cans chopped tomatoes + 3 cups fish stock/ 700 ml + 1 teaspoon dried oregano + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 1 teaspoon dried rosemary + 3 bay leaves
- Add seafood: Cut the fish into pieces, about 1 ½ – 2-inch/ 4-5cm pieces. Add to the pot, add shrimp, too, and stir gently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes. It should flake easily. Don't overcook the fish or it will become tough, it will continue cooking in the sauce during the time you bring the pot to the table and serve it.
- Adjust the taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.1-2 teaspoons lemon juice + fine sea salt and ground black pepper + some parsley
Notes
- Chili: Substitute with red chili flakes or cayenne pepper, always to taste.
- Substitute oregano with either fresh herbs or an Italian or French dried herb mixture, such as Herbs de Provence.
- Fish: Such as halibut, cod, snapper, pollock, bass, haddock, and tilapia. Salmon is also great, although not a white fish.
- Fish and shrimp: Either fresh or frozen and thoroughly defrosted.
- Amount: You can use either 900 g/ 2 lbs fish or substitute half or some of it with shrimp.
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