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Paila Marina

A brimming pot of seafood and shellfish in a bright, garlicky broth — Chile’s bouillabaisse.

⏱ 25 minPrep time
🔥 35 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 Chilean KitchenCategory
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Paila Marina

Paila marina is the fisherman’s stew of the Chilean coast, traditionally served in a clay paila (bowl) with the day’s catch: mussels, clams, shrimp, and fish in a fragrant tomato-garlic broth with potatoes. It’s a bowl of pure, briny comfort.

The fisherman’s pot, steaming and golden

The broth is bright with tomato, garlic, and white wine, and packed with tender fish and shellfish that open and plump right in the bowl. Potatoes soak up the sea-flavored broth, and cilantro and lemon finish it all off.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 6 minutes until soft; add the garlic and paprika and cook 1 minute.
  2. Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes until they break down, then pour in the stock and wine and bring to a boil.
  3. Add the potato rounds and simmer for 12 minutes until almost tender.
  4. Season with salt, add the fish chunks, and simmer 4 minutes.
  5. Add the shrimp, mussels, and clams, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes until the shells open wide and the shrimp are pink.
  6. Discard any unopened shells, stir in the cilantro, and ladle into deep bowls with lemon wedges and bread.

💡 Chef tips & storage

The order matters — fish first, shellfish last, so nothing overcooks. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and crusty bread for the broth, which is the best part.

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Recipe details

Prep25 min
Cook35 min
Servings4
CategoryChilean Kitchen
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 →