Feijoada de marisco flips Portugal’s famous bean stew toward the coast: instead of the pork-heavy classic, white beans simmer in a smoky sofrito and wine-laced seafood broth, then welcome shrimp, clams and squid in the final minutes.
It is the kind of dish coastal tascas do brilliantly — hearty enough to be a stew, elegant enough for a special dinner, and endlessly receptive to whatever the fishmonger has that morning.
The build is simple: sofrito, spices bloomed in the pan, wine, stock, beans — and the seafood added in order of cooking time so everything lands perfectly. Rice or crusty bread on the side is mandatory infrastructure.
Feijoada de Marisco Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large tomato, diced (or 1 cup canned)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups fish or seafood stock
- 2 cups cooked white beans (cannellini or navy)
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound clams or mussels, cleaned
- ½ pound squid, cut into rings
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato, smoked paprika, cumin and pepper flakes, and cook 3 to 4 minutes to bloom the spices.
- Add the wine, scrape up the browned bits, and reduce about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the stock, add the beans and bay leaf, season, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Add the squid and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and clams (or mussels) and simmer until the shrimp turn pink and the shells open, about 5 minutes. Discard any that stay shut.
- Remove the bay leaf, adjust the seasoning, finish with parsley, and serve hot with rice or bread and lemon wedges.
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