Seafood Recipes – 9 Favorites from Our Travels and Our Kitchen

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: October 2026 | We love seafood! Shrimp, mussels, crayfish, crab, lobster and scallops – most of it goes home with us. And just like with many other foods, seafood is also associated with travels and memories from different places in the world.

Some of the recipes here have been inspired by our travels, while others have originated in our own kitchens – or in our camper vans. Some dishes immediately make us think of France, Spain, Belgium, Croatia or Canada. Here we have collected nine simple favorites that we are happy to make again.

Seafood – delicious both at home and on the go

Seafood is something we love to eat when we travel. We order moules in France and Belgium, gambas in Spain and like to try local seafood dishes when we get the chance. Sometimes the flavors come home with us and become part of our own cuisine.

FREEDOMtravel also has a lot of guides for those of you who like seafood. You can read about how to eats whole crab, how to opens oysters and what it's really like to eat sea urchin. We have also collected a lot of facts about crayfish.

1. Hot Shrimp with Cauliflower – a recipe from the camper

This dish came about during our long motorhome trip through southern Europe in 2015. We had shrimp and a head of cauliflower and were wondering what to do with them. The result was a simple dish that we enjoyed so much that we continued to make it even after the trip.

The great thing about food is that flavors can bring back memories. When we make hot shrimp with cauliflower, we still think about that camper trip.

You will need

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 chili
• about 500 g shrimp with shell
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Do the following

Divide the cauliflower into small florets and chop the onion, garlic and chilli. Sauté everything in olive oil until the cauliflower is soft but still has a bit of a chew. Peel the prawns and mix them in right at the end, so that they are just warm. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Gambas al ajillo – garlic shrimp with a taste of Spain

Gambas al ajillo is one such dish that for us really taste Spain. We like to order garlic shrimp when we travel in the country – and the great thing is that the dish is also very easy to make yourself.

Traditionally, gambas al ajillo is served piping hot, and don't forget the bread. It's needed to soak up the delicious oil with garlic and chili!

You will need

• about 500 g large shrimp
• 4–5 garlic cloves
• 1 red chili or chili flakes
• plenty of olive oil
• fresh parsley
• salt
• bread for serving

Do the following

Thinly slice the garlic and chop the chilli. Heat plenty of olive oil and gently fry the garlic and chilli without burning the garlic. Add the prawns and fry until cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately, preferably with a good loaf of bread.

3. Moules marinières – a taste of France and Belgium

Moules marinières is one of the dishes we most associate with traveling. We like to order mussels when we are in France or Belgium, not least with french fries. France is also one of our absolute favorite countries to travel to, so just the thought of moules can spark the desire to travel. Luckily, mussels are also great to cook at home.

You will need

• 1 net mussels
• 2 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• butter
• about 2 dl dry white wine
• parsley
• salt and pepper

Do the following

Rinse and inspect the mussels. Discard any broken mussels and any that are open and do not close when tapped.

Chop the onion and garlic and sauté in butter in a large pot. Pour in the wine and add the mussels. Put the lid on and let the mussels steam until they open. Discard any mussels that are still closed after cooking. Sprinkle with parsley and serve, preferably with bread or French fries.

4. Pasta vongole – from Amsterdam to Croatia

Pasta vongole is a real favorite. The first time I (Helena) ate the dish was actually in Amsterdam, and since then we have ordered it on several different trips, including to Croatia.

This is one of those dishes that shows that a food memory doesn't always have to be associated with the right country. For me, pasta vongole will always be a bit of Amsterdam too!

You will need

• about 500 g vongole clams
• spaghetti
• 2–3 garlic cloves
• olive oil
• about 1 dl dry white wine
• fresh parsley
• chili to taste
• salt and pepper

Do the following

Cook the pasta. Rinse and check the mussels. Sauté chopped garlic and possibly some chili in olive oil. Add the mussels and pour over the wine. Put the lid on and let the mussels steam until they open. Mix in the pasta and parsley and taste. Discard any mussels that have not opened.

5. Gratinated mussels – a favorite on the motorhome trip

Mussels au gratin have been with us for a long time. We have cooked them in the camper and invited fellow travelers to them. It is a simple dish that still feels a bit luxurious and is perfect as a starter or snack.

You will need

• 1 net mussels
• about 100 g butter
• 1–2 slices of dark bread
• 2 cloves of garlic
• fresh parsley
• a splash of white wine
• 1 lemon

Do the following

Mix butter with breadcrumbs, chopped parsley and finely chopped garlic. Rinse and check the mussels. Put them in a pot with a splash of white wine and steam them under a lid until they open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.

Remove one half of the shell and place the mussels on a baking sheet. Spread the butter mixture over them and gratinate in the oven until nicely browned. Serve with lemon.

6. Seafood soup with saffron – inspired by our travels

We like seafood soups and like to order them when we travel. Not least in France, where there is of course a long tradition of various seafood soups.

Our own version is much simpler and should not be confused with a real bouillabaisse from Marseille. But the combination of fish, shellfish and saffron still makes your mind wander south.

You will need

• about 400 g fish, such as salmon and cod
• about 200 g peeled shrimp
• 1 package Kelda Archipelago Soup
• 2 dl cooking cream
• lobster stock
• saffron
• olive
• salt and pepper

Do the following

Cut the fish into pieces. Pour the soup and cream into a saucepan and season with a little lobster stock and saffron. Add the fish and simmer until done. Add the shrimp and olives at the end and let everything heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Crayfish soup – a recurring favorite

This crayfish soup doesn't have any particular travel history behind it. It's simply a favorite that we're happy to return to at home.

We have a weakness for creamy seafood soups in general, and when traveling in France we like to choose bisque, for example, when it's on the menu. At home, it sometimes ends up being a much simpler crayfish soup.

You will need

• 1 can of crayfish tails
• 2 carrots
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• about 5 dl water
• fish or seafood stock
• 2 dl crème fraiche
• dill
• salt and pepper

Do the following

Grate the carrots and fry them in butter. Dust with flour and stir. Pour in water and stock and let the soup simmer for a while. Stir in the crème fraiche and season with dill, salt and pepper. Add the crayfish tails just before serving so that they are warm without cooking for long.

8. Scallops with pea puree – our party favorite

Scallops are something we like to order when we find them in restaurants during our travels. However, this particular dish is above all a favorite from home. Scallops with pea puree is easy to prepare but still feels festive, and for us the dish is especially suitable for New Year's.

You will need

• scallops
• frozen green peas
• butter
• a little cream or crème fraiche
• salt and pepper

Do the following

Boil the peas quickly and blend them with a little butter and cream or crème fraiche to a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper. Pat the scallops dry and fry them quickly in butter over a fairly high heat until they have a nice browned surface. Serve immediately on the pea puree.

9. Gratin with catfish, lobster and scallops – inspired by Canada

During a trip to Canada, we ate several really good fish gratins. When we got home, we looked for recipes for something similar, but couldn't find anything that really matched what we remembered.

So Peter started experimenting in the kitchen, and the result was this luxurious gratin with catfish, lobster and scallops. This is a clear example of a food memory from a trip being allowed to live on at home.

You will need

• catfish
• lobster
• scallops
• potato
• butter
• cream
• egg yolks
• grated cheese
• salt and pepper

Do the following

Boil the potatoes and make a fairly thick mashed potato with butter and cream. Pipe or press the mashed potato around the edge of the serving dishes.

Cut the catfish into pieces and divide the fish, lobster meat and scallops into the tins. Make a simple sauce of cream and a little of the seafood flavouring and pour over. Top with some grated cheese and gratin in the oven until the fish is done and the gratin has a nice colour.

More seafood memories from our travels

Shellfish have appeared in many of our travel memories over the years. In Spain, we have, among other things, become acquainted with coquinas, small mussels that we then cooked ourselves in the camper. In French Cancale Of course we have eaten oysters, and on the Swedish west coast it is often shrimp, crayfish and crab.

For us, food is an important part of traveling. And sometimes it's just a certain taste that makes you suddenly find yourself somewhere completely different again – at least in your memory.

READ MORE: Fish recipes – 9 favorites from our travels and our kitchen

What is your favorite seafood recipe?

What seafood do you like best? Shrimp, mussels, crayfish, crab, lobster or scallops? And do you have a dish that immediately makes you think back to a special trip?