Paila marina
Paila marina: Chilean seafood stew served bubbling in a clay bowl
At the market stalls of Valparaíso, San Antonio and Santiago's Mercado Central, paila marina arrives at the table still bubbling in a clay bowl (the paila): mussels, clams, prawns and white fish in a garlicky, paprika-red broth, eaten with bread and a squeeze of lemon. Chileans swear by it for a hangover, and many add white wine; this version uses only fish stock. The common mistake is cooking all the seafood together for the same time: prawns and fish turn rubbery while the clams open. Add them in stages. Chef's tip: scrub the shellfish and tap any open shells before cooking; throw away any that don't close, and after cooking throw away any that stay shut.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb live musselsscrubbed, beards pulled off
- 1 ⅛ lb live clamsscrubbed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 red pepperfinely diced
- 4 garlic cloveschopped
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 ripe tomatopeeled and chopped
- 4 ¼ cups fish stock
- 10 ½ oz firm white fishin 4 cm pieces
- 7 oz raw prawnspeeled
- 4 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 lemonin wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Tap any open 1 ⅛ lb live mussels and 1 ⅛ lb live clams on the worktop; throw away any that don't close. Rinse well in cold water.
10 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide pot over a medium heat and cook 1 onion and 1 red pepper until soft.
8 minStep 3: Add 4 garlic cloves, 2 tsp sweet paprika and ½ tsp dried chilli flakes and stir for 1 minute, then add 1 ripe tomato and 4 ¼ cups fish stock and bring to the boil.
5 minStep 4: Add the clams and mussels, cover and cook until the shells open, shaking the pot once.
5 minStep 5: Lower the heat, add 10 ½ oz firm white fish and 7 oz raw prawns and simmer gently until the prawns are pink right through and the fish is opaque and flakes.
4 minStep 6: Discard any shells that stayed shut. Ladle into hot bowls, scatter with 4 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with 1 lemon and bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does paila marina take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red pepper?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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