Argentine Fish Stew

Chupín de pescado is a traditional stew from Argentina’s Litoral region and the riverside areas of the Río de la Plata, where white fish is slow-cooked together with tomato, bell pepper, and potatoes until it soaks up every flavor.

Its name comes from the verb “chupinar,” meaning to suck or absorb, referring to how the fish and vegetables absorb the stew’s flavors during slow cooking.

Argentine Fish Stew

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• Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Argentine

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

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Nutrition

• Calories: 260

Ingredients

• 800 g of firm white fish fillets (hake or similar) (about 1.75 lb)
• to taste of salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 of onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 of bell pepper, in strips
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 400 g of crushed tomato (about 14 oz)
• 3 of potatoes, sliced
• 500 ml of fish stock or water (about 2 cups)
• to taste of fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Marinate the fish, season the fillets with salt and pepper, cover with lemon juice, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Cook the vegetables, in a wide skillet or pot with olive oil, cook the sliced onion, sliced garlic, and bell pepper strips for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the wine, stir in the white wine and cook for 2 minutes so the alcohol evaporates.
4. Add the tomato, stir in the crushed tomato and cook a few more minutes until the sauce comes together.
5. Add the potatoes, stir in the sliced potatoes and cover with the fish stock or water.
6. Simmer, let it simmer gently until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 15 minutes.
7. Add the fish, place the marinated fillets on top of the sauce, cover, and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
8. Serve, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve piping hot.

Tips for getting it right

• Marinating the fish with lemon beforehand helps mellow its flavor and lets it better absorb the stew’s aromas.
• Choose firm fish, like hake, so it doesn’t fall apart during cooking.
• Don’t stir too much once the fish is added, so the fillets don’t break apart.
• Chupín cooks relatively fast: about 30 to 40 minutes total.

Traditional variations

• Some families add clams or mussels along with the fish for more seafood variety.
• It’s also made with different river fish, like surubí, depending on the Litoral region.

How to serve

Chupín de pescado is served piping hot as a main dish, straight from the pot or in individual bowls.

It’s great paired with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Recommended sides

• Crusty bread
• White wine
• Simple salad

Did you know?

The name “chupín” comes from the verb “chupinar,” referring to how the fish and vegetables absorb all the stew’s flavors during slow cooking.

It’s a characteristic dish of the riverside areas of the Río de la Plata and Argentina’s Litoral region, reflecting those regions’ fishing tradition.