Cazuela de Mariscos — Cartagena Coconut Seafood Stew

Remove the dark vein along the backs of the shrimp. Rinse the mussel meat 2 times in cold water and drain. Cut the fish into 4 cm cubes. Squeeze lemon juice over the seafood, pat it dry, and refrigerate each type in a separate bowl; they will not all go into the sauce at once.

Melt the butter in a wide, deep pot. Add the finely chopped yellow and green onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the diced bell pepper and grated carrot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the grated garlic, cumin, and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir for 1 minute. Add the grated tomato and cook for 3 minutes. Gradually pour in the fish stock and coconut milk, stirring after each addition. Add the ají paste and salt, then cook over low heat for 8 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it bubble at all; coconut milk can curdle over high heat.

Add the fish cubes first and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mussels and cook for 2 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes more before turning off the heat. The shrimp are ready when they curl into a C and turn orange, and the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Shake the pot two or three times rather than stirring.

Stir in the chopped cilantro and taste for salt. Serve hot with white rice, patacones, and a lemon wedge.