In this post, you will discover how to make the most delicious Irish Fisherman’s Stew! This Irish seafood stew recipe will make you want to move to Ireland!
Sara from WanderMoore will explain to you everything about it below! Read on to find the whole recipe!
What is Fisherman’s Stew?
We visited the Emerald Isle in 2016, and one of our favorite meals we had was an Irish Fisherman’s stew. We had the opportunity to try it in both Dublin and Galway. Both were as unique as the cities themselves.
Fisherman’s Stew consists of fresh seafood mixed with amazing herbs and spices. Pair it with a nice Irish Whiskey on the side – you can’t go wrong!
The recipe is pretty simple and easy to prepare. You basically create a delicious broth, throw in the seafood and serve hot with a side of crusty bread.
Pro- Tip: It’s important to use fresh seafood if possible – it’s just not the same when you use frozen products. You cannot hide sub-par ingredients in this recipe so make sure to spend the money on really good pristine seafood!
Check out my tried and true recipe for Irish Fisherman’s Stew below:
Fisherman’s stew recipe:
Ingredients for broth:
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes, or fresh chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups fish stock
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Salt to taste
Ingredients for the Irish seafood stew:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ very thinly sliced fennel bulb (must be fresh!!)
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 8 ounces firm white fish, halibut or sea bass, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 8 peeled and deveined raw shrimp
- 8 ounces cleaned, ready to cook calamari
- 12 muscles, scrubbed clean
- 12 clams, scrubbed clean
- Salt to taste
- Crusty bread on the side (great for dipping!)
Step by Step Guide for the Irish seafood stew:
1. Combine tomatoes, red pepper flakes and water into a medium sized bowl. Pour all into a blender or food processor- blend until smooth. Set aside
2. Cut white fish into 1 ½ chunks to match the other seafoods size. Set aside. Clean all other seafood and set aside.
3. Melt butter and olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
4. Add in sliced fennel, garlic and salt. Cook and stir until the garlic takes on color – about 1 minute. Stir in white wine. Let it simmer until reduced by about half – 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Combine tomato puree and white wine mixture. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil until fennel is tender – 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and add seasonings as needed.
6. Stir in parsley, white fish, shrimp and calamari. Then add in clams and mussels. Cover, increase heat to high and cook until clam and mussel shells open. White fish, shrimp and calamari should be opaque in color – about 5 minutes of cooking.
7. You’re done! Pour into serving bowls, add some chunky bread on the side and pour yourself an Irish Whiskey.
Not a fan of Irish Whiskey? Check out some of these other amazing international drinks to add on the side of your Fisherman’s Stew!
The result!
About the author
Sara started WanderMoore in early 2020 after leaving a full-time job in the
Communications/Marketing field to stay home and raise her children. She wanted something fun to work on and WanderMoore has become one of her biggest passions.
Sara’s interest in travel started at a young age going on vacations with family. She always ended up planning the trips, excursions, and places to eat, while keeping everything organized. As she got older, she continued to explore other destinations, and her love for traveling only strengthened.
Sara strongly believes that traveling the world is one of the best ways to experience life and embrace other cultures. Some of her favorite places in the world include London, Florence, and San Francisco.
It’s up to you now!
What do you think? This Irish seafood stew recipe looks good right?
I can’t wait to hear your reactions about the Fisherman’s stew! Comment below and tell me if you like it or not!
Looking for other authentic international recipes? Visit the other International Recipes on the blog!
No time to cook now? Pin it for later!
I made this last night and it was wonderful. I exchanged some of the seafood and used what I had, catfish for the white fish, bay scallops for the calamari, canned clams for the fresh clams. I uses all the other seafood you suggested. I made the base broth with 1 small can crushed tomatoes. When I tasted for seasoning it needed salt. I used no salt. I used half a can of anchovies, smashed. I simmered the broth for about 45 minutes before adding seafood. Cooked the seafood only 15 minutes. WONDERFUL Next time I will add some corn and a few small cubed potatoes. You are a great cook and I would like more of your recipes