Cioppino, a San Francisco-style fish stew

A special treat for friends and family

Cioppino is a quintessential San Francisco dish. Legend has it that the term evolved from the expression "chip in." It was created by Italian and Portuguese fishermen, who "chipped in" seafood from their daily catch and cooked it in a savory tomato-based broth. Today you can find it on many menus in restaurants.  It is one of my favorite dishes and I serve it to my friends and family when our Dungeness crab is in season. I have cooked this for years and each time it is a little different. The essential question for me is whether to use red or white wine. Traditionally, it was cooked in red wine which gives the stew a deeper, richer flavor. Lately I've been leaning towards the lighter version using white wine. Whatever you choose, it it will be a delicious meal. In our house, we serve it with garlic bread that my husband prepares, add a salad and you have a special meal for a cold winter evening that you can share with your friends and family.

Use whatever seafood looks best at the store, as the success of your cioppino will depend on the freshness of your selection. If local crab is not available, use King crab legs from Alaska. If you want a stronger tomato taste in your soup, add another tablespoon of tomato paste. Add less red pepper if you want it to be less spicy. I have also served this with fennel and celery added.  In my opinion, the mussels and clams are a must. I figure about 2-3 prawns per person, depending on their size. If you don't have a Trader Joe's store nearby, use ½ pound of calamari instead of the seafood mix.  You can prepare the stew (without the seafood) ahead of time. Make sure to have extra napkins, little tools to get the crab out of the shell (I use little forks) and bowls to discard the shells. Do not use your best tablecloth, as you will have stains.

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Ingredients:

Serves 6-8 people

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups diced red onions
1 bay leaf
1/2  tsp. pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp. salt 
3 Tbs. minced garlic
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh or 1 tsp. dried oregano  
2 cups  white wine
8 ounces clam  juice
1  28-32 ounce can of diced tomatoes 
2 cups chopped tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1Tbs. sugar 
3 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
3 Tbs. flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 package of Trader Joe’s seafood mix or ¼ lb. sea scallops
1lb. tilapia or other white fish
1lb. shrimp or prawns, peeled with tails on
15 to 20 mussels
15 to 20 clams
1 large Dungeness crab, cracked and cleaned

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart heavy pot. Add the bay leaf and onions, and sauté over moderate heat for 5-8 minutes, do not brown the onions. Add the garlic, the red pepper flakes and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, again making sure you don't brown the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, diced red peppers and cook, stirring for one minute. Add the wine and boil until reduced to a half. Add tomatoes with their juice, clam juice, broth, sugar, 1Tbs. basil, and 1Tbs. parsley, and simmer (covered) for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.  

Wash and scrub the mussels and clams, keeping them in a bowl of water. Cut the tilapia into bite-sized pieces. Add the clams and mussels to the stew and simmer (covered) until the shells open, 5 -10 minutes. Check every minute after 5 minutes and transfer opened clams and mussels to a separate pot, discarding any unopened ones after 10 minutes. Season the fish and shrimp with salt and add it to the rest of the seafood—except the crab.  Then simmer (covered) until cooked thoroughly, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, return clams and mussels to the pot (you can also add the crab at this time if it fits), cover and heat through. Sprinkle with the remainder of the basil and parsley. Since the crab is already cooked, I usually divide the crab among the heated soup bowls and then pour the soup over it. Serve immediately. 

Guten Appetit!
Recipe by: ©sunnycovechef.com

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