Cazuela with seafood in Colombian style
8 servings
75 minutes
Cazuela with seafood is a culinary masterpiece that transports you to the Caribbean coast. This dish traces back to colonial traditions when locals mixed seafood with aromatic spices, creating rich and warming flavors. The thick tomato base infused with white wine and a rich shrimp head broth gives deep flavor to every piece of fish, squid, shrimp, and mussels. Spicy chili pepper adds zest while fresh parsley refreshes the composition. Cazuela is served with arepas, corn cakes that perfectly complement the dish's texture. It's not just a soup—it's a flavor symphony embodying the richness of Colombian cuisine and the joy of dining by the sea.
1
Pour 0.5 liters of water into a saucepan and add the cut cod fillet. Salt and add a bay leaf. Boil for 5-6 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate.
- Cod fillet: 300 g
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
2
Boil the shrimp in the same water. After the water boils, cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to another dish. Remove and set aside the heads of the shrimp, and discard the antennae.
- Tiger prawns: 300 g
3
Boil squid rings in the same water. Cook for 3-5 minutes after boiling. Also transfer to a plate.
- Squid: 400 g
4
Place mussels in shells into the broth and boil for 2-3 minutes after boiling. The mussels should open. Discard closed mussels. Transfer only the opened mussels to a plate.
- Mussels in the shell: 500 g
5
Place the shrimp heads in the remaining broth and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve.
- Tiger prawns: 300 g
6
In a thick-bottomed pot or wok pan, add butter and sauté onion and sweet pepper over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and fry for another 2 minutes.
- Butter: 20 g
- Onion: 1 piece
- Bell pepper: 1 piece
- Garlic: 2 cloves
7
Put diced tomatoes and pureed tomatoes in their own juice, along with chili flakes, into the pot. Add wine and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
- Tomato puree: 500 g
- Chili flakes: 1 teaspoon
- Dry white wine: 250 ml
8
Add 2 cups of the prepared broth to the tomatoes, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Wait until it all boils and then add the fish and seafood. If there is not enough liquid, pour in more broth or hot water.
- Cod fillet: 300 g
- Squid: 400 g
- Tiger prawns: 300 g
- Mussels in the shell: 500 g
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
- Onion: 1 piece
- Bell pepper: 1 piece
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Chili flakes: 1 teaspoon
- Tomatoes: 2 pieces
- Tomato puree: 500 g
9
Cook the casserole for 5–7 minutes on low heat.
10
Before serving, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with arepas - corn bread cakes.
