White Wine Seafood Stew Recipe

This seafood stew recipe is inspired by French bouillabaisse and has the a delicious light white wine and fennel broth.

If you are a seafood lover, there’s something special about a bowl of seafood stew with perfectly cooked seafood. Our version has no tomatoes and calls on white wine, garlic, and fennel. The broth is similar to our steamed mussels but calls on homemade seafood stock (it’s easy).

When serving this stew, you’ll want a few slices of crusty bread to go alongside so you can soak up all the delicious broth. Homemade focaccia bread would be amazing, too!

Key Ingredients

• Fish: For this stew, I always choose flaky white fish like cod or halibut. They cook beautifully in the broth and add a delicate flavor.
• Shellfish: I love a combination of shrimp, mussels, and clams. I leave the tails on the shrimp and scrub the mussels and clams before cooking them. If they have not already been removed, you will also need to remove the beards from the mussels (see more about that in our steamed mussels recipe).
• Aromatics: My go-to aromatics are shallot, fennel, celery, and garlic. This classic combination creates a really delicious base. These are almost identical to my aromatics for poached salmon!
• Seafood Stock: While you can certainly buy seafood stock, I prefer making my own. It’s surprisingly easy, and the flavor is unbeatable! You’ll find the instructions below in our recipe. The base is fish bones and the shells from our shrimp. Fish bones are inexpensive and readily available at most seafood counters.
• White Wine: I use white wine when making my homemade seafood stock. If you use store-bought stock, check the tips section to see when to add a splash of white wine to the stew. Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked chardonnay.
• Spinach or Kale: Just before serving, I like to stir in some baby spinach or kale. They wilt quickly in the hot broth and add some nice color.
• Cream: Though optional, a splash of cream at the end adds richness and mellows out the flavors of the broth. I love it!

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Seafood Stew

Tip 1: Make homemade fish stock (it’s easy). Store-bought stock works, but if you want extra flavor, making fish stock is simple and takes about 45 minutes. Ask your seafood counter for fish bones (they usually have them).

I cook a little bacon in my pot first, then use the rendered fat to sauté shallot, carrots, and celery until soft. Add the fish bones, any shrimp shells from prepping your shrimp, and a few herbs. Cover with water, simmer for about 30 minutes, then strain. Use this stock as the base of your stew. (Snack on the bacon while you cook.)

Tip 2: Build the stew in layers. Start by softening the aromatics: shallot, fennel, celery, and garlic. Stir in the wine and your seafood stock, and bring to a simmer. Add the clams first since they take the longest to open. Then add the shrimp and mussels, and finally the fish, which cooks quickly. Finish by adding greens and swirling in a bit of cream to make the broth luxurious and silky.

More Easy Seafood Recipes