Home / Dinner / Picante de Mariscos

Picante de Mariscos

A fiery, brick-red stew of mixed seafood in aji amarillo and aji panca, thickened with ground nuts — the Peruvian coast’s boldest bowl.

⏱ 25 minPrep time
🔥 30 minCook time
🍽 6Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
Picante de Mariscos

Picante de mariscos is the coastal cousin of the highlands’ picantes: a chile-forward stew where squid, shrimp, and fish swim in a sauce built on aji amarillo, aji panca, and a spoonful of ground peanuts. It is rustic, intense, and unapologetically spicy.

A chile-red sea of seafood

The sauce is thick, smoky, and fruity-hot, clinging to each piece of seafood, while the ground nuts lend body and a faint sweetness. Served over rice with a squeeze of lime, it is the kind of dish that demands bread to mop the bowl.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Season the seafood with salt and set it aside while you build the sauce.
  2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cumin and cook 1 minute.
  3. Stir in both aji pastes and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until they melt into a thick base.
  4. Whisk in the ground peanuts and the fish stock, and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is rich and slightly thickened.
  5. Add the seafood in order of cooking time — fish first, then squid, then shrimp — and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until just cooked through.
  6. Season to taste, scatter with cilantro, and serve over white rice with lime wedges on the side.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Do not overcook the seafood — it finishes in the hot sauce in minutes. Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated; reheat gently and eat the same night for the best texture.

Rate this recipe

☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
Sign in to rate this recipe.

Recipe details

Prep25 min
Cook30 min
Servings6
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →