Bright, hearty and complex! This salmon and mussel summer seafood stew has a delightfully fresh tangy flavor and a deep savory finish. Although it is a warm stew, it is perfect on a summer evening with a glass of white wine.
This is one of our favorites for at home celebratory meals. Compared to some of the more simple (and cheaper…) dishes featured on Eat with Tom, this one is definitely worth the investment. Maybe a good idea for the next big night in with your sweetie…
Seafood Stew Recipe with Salmon, Mussels, Fennel, and Chorizo
Feel free to make this with whatever seafood is available in your area, this dish is versatile. I have made it with a variety of fish and seafood ingredients, but have landed on Coho salmon and mussels as my favorite. The Coho Salmon has a strong flavor that is perfect in the stew and tends to hold together nicely.
Recipe Inspiration – Feasting at Home (blog)
Don’t forget the lemons! The stew develops a wonderful depth of richness that is brightened up with the zestiness of the lemon juice.
Step-by-Step Summer Seafood Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz spicy pork chorizo
- 1 lb Coho Alaskan Salmon
- 1 lb mussels
- 1 large fennel bulb (diced)
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup white wine
- 3-4 tomatoes chopped
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ½ bunch parsley (chopped)
- 1-2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Kitchen Tools and Gadgets
Prepare fennel by cutting off the fronds and bottom. Dice the fennel similar to how you would an onion. I ended up with the fennel pieces a bit large in this recipe, requiring a few extra minutes of cooking time. Fennel is more rigid than onions and will need a little longer to sauté. Set aside.
Cut the onions in a rough dice to maintain a nice bite in the stew. A super small dice will just disappear after the simmer.
Chop the tomatoes into ¾ in chunks. First cut out the core, turn on its side, and slice. Take all the slices, except for the “hat” and turn upside down. Now cut down to chop into pieces. Cut the “hat” separately into similar sized pieces. Repeat with all tomatoes.
Chop the parsley and reserve for the final step.
Prepare the salmon by first removing the skin and chopping into large chunks, approximately 1 in by 1 in. Store in the fridge while making the broth.
Remove the chorizo from the casing by creating a slit down the side to open and chop loosely to break up.
Set a heavy bottom deep skillet or dutch oven (I used the cast iron Staub Wok here) over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add chorizo and brown gently for 3-5 minutes. Once the chorizo is browned, remove to a plate and reserve drippings in the pan.
Add fennel to pan and sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the onions and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Both fennel and onions will have a slightly translucent appearance.
Add the tomato paste and crank up the heat to medium high. We want to caramelize the paste to help build the amazing depth of flavor that makes this dish soooo wonderful. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes or until the paste begins to brown.
Add the wine to deglaze the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Allow to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the chopped tomatoes, browned chorizo, fish sauce and chicken stock. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Taste broth and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Depending on your stock and chorozio, you may need to add a lot or a little…
Add the mussels and salmon to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mussels open and fish begins to flake. This goes quick!
Add the parsley and squeeze the juice of one lemon into the stew. I always like extra lemon and often add another ¼ to ½ of a lemon to my bowl. The lemon is crucial and adds an awesome brightness to the flavor of the stew.
Let’s Eat!

Summer Seafood Stew with Salmon and Mussels
Ingredients
- 12 oz spicy pork chorizo
- 1 lb Coho Alaskan Salmon
- 1 lb mussels
- 1 large fennel bulb diced
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup white wine
- 3-4 to matoes chopped
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ½ bunch parsley chopped
- 1-2 lemons
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare fennel by cutting off the fronds and bottom. Dice the fennel similar to how you would an onion. I ended up with the fennel pieces a bit large in this recipe, requiring a few extra minutes of cooking time. Fennel is more rigid than onions and will need a little longer to sauté. Set aside.
- Cut the onions in a rough dice to maintain a nice bite in the stew. A super small dice will just disappear after the simmer.
- Chop the tomatoes into ¾ in chunks. First cut out the core, turn on its side, and slice. Take all the slices, except for the “hat” and turn upside down. Now cut down to chop into pieces. Cut the “hat” separately into similar sized pieces. Repeat with all tomatoes.
- Chop the parsley and reserve for the final step.
- Prepare the salmon by first removing the skin and chopping into large chunks, approximately 1 in by 1 in. Store in the fridge while making the broth.
- Remove the chorozo from the casing by creating a slit down the side to open and chop loosely to break up.
- Set a heavy bottom deep skillet or dutch oven (I used the cast iron Staub Wok here) over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add chorizo and brown gently for 3-5 minutes. Once the chorizo is browned, remove to a plate and reserve drippings in the pan.
- Add fennel to pan and sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the onions and sauté an additional 5 minutes. Both fennel and onions will have a slightly translucent appearance.
- Add the tomato paste and crank up the heat to medium high. We want to caramelize the paste to help build the amazing depth of flavor that makes this dish soooo wonderful. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes or until the paste begins to brown.
- Add the wine to deglaze the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Allow to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, browned chorizo, fish sauce and chicken stock. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Taste broth and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Depending on your stock and chorozio, you may need to add a lot or a little…
- Add the mussels and salmon to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mussels open and fish begins to flake. This goes quick!
- Add the parsley and squeeze the juice of one lemon into the stew. I always like extra lemon and often add another ¼ to ½ of a lemon to my bowl. The lemon is crucial and adds an awesome brighteness to the flavor of the stew.
- Let’s Eat!