Spicy Seafood Stew Recipe

Photo credit: insatiablemunch via VisualHunt / CC BY

As the season changes, your menu should too. Entice new customers and keep your regulars coming back for more with the spicy aromas and familiar tomato flavours of Chef Rick’s Spicy Seafood Stew.

Mixing flavours and textures, this blend of seafood fused with spicy chipotle chilli creates a warming tasty dish that’s easy to cook and keeps your costs down. Mixing pricey prawns with cheaper clams not only saves you money, it actually improves the dish. If you want to bulk your stew and make them go further you can add potatoes, beans or lentils. Read on to learn what other variations Chef Rick recommends.

This one-pot stew makes cooking seafood simple and the tomato base brings out the natural flavours. Make sure you have some nice fresh crusty bread to soak up all the delicious sauce – Chef Rick Tarantino, M.S.

Preparation time 20 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
1/4 Cup (60ml) Olive Oil	1 Large Sweet Onion, Finely Chopped
2 Stalks Celery, Finely Chopped, Leaves Included	6 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Ground Chipotle Chilli Pepper	4 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley	1/2 Teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
2 Cups (490g) Crushed Chargrilled Tomatoes	4 Cups (980g) Tomato Sauce
2 Fillets (400g) Barramundi Cod or Deep Sea Cod	2 (400g each) Blue Swimmer Crabs, Halved, Cleaned
4 (125g each) Bugs or Rock Lobster Tails	2 Cups (450g) Hard Shell Clams, Rinsed
9 (300g) Large Prawns	1 Lemon

Equipment
Large Cast Iron Pot	Flexible Fillet Knife
Colour Coded Chopping Board	Ladle
Slotted Spoon	Lemon Zester

Method

1. Heat oil in a large cast iron pot, over a medium heat, add the onion, celery, garlic, and bay leaves and cook for 4 minutes until the onions and celery begin to brown. 
2. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. 
3. Add the shellfish (except the clams) and reduce the heat to a low-medium heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. 
4. Add the fish and clams to the liquid, and cook, covered, for an additional 10 minutes until the clams have opened. At this point the fish should be white and flaky.
5. Remove from the stove and use a ladle to remove the liquid and place in a serving bowl. Gently remove fish and seafood and place in the liquid, garnish with dried parsley and serve.

Need some new crockery? Olympia's Kiln collection emphasises the theme of seafood and the bright Ocean blue creates a striking contrast against the stew’s tomato sauce. Plus, each piece is coated with a reactive glaze for durability in a busy kitchen.

Olympia Kiln Collection

Chef Rick's Tips

Flip this dish and substitute the seafood and fish for lamb, goat or veal. 

Instead of using tomato as the base, replace the tomato sauce and chargrilled tomatoes with 5 cups (1.2kg) chicken stock and 1 cup (240g) white wine with a pinch of saffron. 

If you want to make this dish your spicy special then simply increase the amount of dried chilli flakes. 

Chef Rick Tarantino is a famous TV chef and entrepreneur specializing in developing food, recipes and kitchen products. Chef Rick, as he’s known in the media, has travelled the world, inspiring amateur and professional chefs alike, with delicious recipes and endless knowledge at his disposal.

With a degree in food science and 10 years working as an executive and professor at the Johnson & Wales University, he has since developed a number of businesses and has years of catering equipment expertise, combined with an immense understanding of the food industry.

Take a look at Chef Rick's website for more mouthwatering recipes.

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