Cioppino – [chuh-pee-noh]
noun; derived from the Italian word ciuppin
1. An Italian-American stew of fish, shellfish, tomatoes, wine and seasonings; originated in San Francisco.
2. A go-to delicious and hearty fish stew; crowd-friendly, easy in preparation and guaranteed to please friends and family.
Spicy Cioppino with Shellfish
Serves 6
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut in 1/4″ dice
1 fennel bulb, fronds removed, cut in 1/4″ dice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 turkish bay leaf
1 1/2 cups full-bodied red wine, such as Syrah or Zinfandel/Primitivo
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with juices
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
18 littleneck clams
6 large or 12 medium sea scallops
1 pound large shrimp, shelled, deveined, tails left intact
1/2 pound cleaned calamari with tentacles, body cut in 1/4″ thick rings
1 to 2 Dungeness crabs, cracked and broken in pieces or king crab leg, broken in 6 pieces
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Additional parsley sprigs for garnish
In a heavy stock pot, cook garlic, onion and red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat until onions soften and garlic is fragrant without browning, about 3 minutes. Add red bell pepper, fennel, dried oregano and bay leaf. Cook stirring, 1 minute. Add wine; bring to boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken stock and tomato paste. Simmer, covered, 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Stock can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance to this point. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Return to a simmer before continuing.)
Add clams and crab to simmering stew. Cook until clams open, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard any unopened clams. Add scallops, shrimp and calamari. Simmer, covered, until scallops and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf and stir in chopped parsley. Serve in warm bowls with sourdough bread.
mmmh! this looks so tempting! i have never made fish soup myself, this is just the ticket for me to try it!
Oh to be able to get crab like you do in SF…delicious!
You’re ahead of me, Steve. Just about to post a new cioppino recipe later today! And I think lobster will be a brilliant stand-in for the crab if you are feeling like a splurge.
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A wonderful dish! Very tempting.
Cheers,
Rosa