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Portuguese Seafood Stew
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Portuguese Seafood Stew

Course Main Course, Main Dishes and Wine Pairings, Seafood
Cuisine Portuguese
Keyword Portuguese Seafood Stew
Author Jane, adapted from "Kitchen Conversations," Joyce Goldstein

Ingredients

For the beans

  • 1 lb. dried white beans I used "Rancho Gordo" Cassoulet beans
  • 2 medium white onions, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf

For the stew base

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive
  • 2 medium white onions, chopped
  • 5 medium to large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Aleppo Pepper flakes I like Aleppo Pepper for its medium heat level
  • 1 28-oz can whole plum and peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano I like San Marzano for their sweetness and tenderness, worth the extra price
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Seafood

  • 6 6 oz. lobster tails
  • 1-1/2 cups dry white wine
  • 24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 30 littleneck clams in their shell, cleaned
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

For the beans

  • In a large stockpot, add the white beans and cover with 6 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Let the beans rest for 2 hours. Drain the beans and cover by at least 2-inch of fresh cold water and add the chopped onions, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer until the beans are cooked but not soft. (Add salt after 30 minutes). Remove the bay leaf.

For the stew base

  • In a 12-inch skillet, warm the extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until soft about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic, Aleppo Pepper flakes, and the can of tomatoes. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, breaking down the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Drain the beans and add them to the onion and tomato skillet. Simmer for 20 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Add the wine, as needed, to thin the stew mixture before adding the seafood.

Steam the lobster tails

  • In a large stock pot with a steamer basket insert, pour 1 to 2-inches of water into the stock pot. Bring to a boil. Place the steamer insert inside the pot making sure the insert is above the water level. Add the lobster tails in the steamer basket insert and cover the pot.
  • Steam the lobster tails for about 7 minutes, do not open the lid in between time. Remove the tails and let them cool until you can handle them to remove the shell. Cut down the center of the softer under-shell from the big end to the fan-tail. Twist the tail to separate the meat from the shell. Set aside.

To finish the stew

  • Add the shrimp and clams to the tomato bean mixture. Cover the skillet and cook until the clams open and the shrimp are cooked through. Discard any clams that do not open during a reasonable cooking time. Add the lobster tails to the stew just to warm them.
  • To serve: Ladle into shallow wide rim soup bowls, evenly dividing the seafood between 6 bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro.