Cioppino
This is by far one of the best meals I've ever made. The sauce is not as tomato based as other Cioppino but it was perfect for me. I used sea scallops, large fresh clams, giant shrimp that taste like lobster and crab claws. A pretty pricey dish but so worth it for a special celebration.
This is by far one of the best meals I've ever made. The sauce is not as tomato based as other Cioppino but it was perfect for me. I used sea scallops, large fresh clams, giant shrimp that taste like lobster and crab claws. A pretty pricey dish but so worth it for a special celebration.
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
- 1 can chicken stock (14.5 ounce)
- 1/2 tablespoon old bay (or similar)
- 1/2 cup water or more wine
- 8 large sea scallops
- 12 small clams
- 6 giant freshwater shrimp or 12 if smaller
- 6 medium crab leg sections
- 12 small mussels
- Carbohydrate 10.5367225004535 g
- Cholesterol 297.325416899868 mg
- Fat 73.1708280046021 g
- Fiber 1.37270001728104 g
- Protein 50.1571070842287 g
- Saturated Fat 44.3031929723726 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -3 people (496g)
- Sodium 1094.27170896128 mg
- Sugar 9.16402248317251 g
- Trans Fat 6.62779075615192 g
- Calories 919 calories
Step-by-step
- Over medium low heat melt butter in a 6 quart stockpot, add onions, garlic and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.
- Add tomatoes, chicken bone stock, bay leaf, basil, thyme, oregano, water and wine. Cover and let simmer 15 minutes.
- Stir in the crab sections, shrimp, scallops, and clams. Bring to a slow boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams & mussels open.
- Serve in shallow bowl with crusty artisan bread and a glass of the white wine.
While traditional French bouillabaisse relies on a base of white fish and fennel finished with rouille, San Francisco's Italian-American cioppino utilizes a tomato-and-wine broth loaded with whatever catch arrived on the docks. This coastal stew originated among Genoese fishermen who settled in North Beach during the late nineteenth century, transforming unsold remnants of the daily catch into a communal pot. Cooking the aromatics in butter over medium-low heat prevents browning while softening the onions entirely. Simmering the foundational liquids for fifteen minutes concentrates the wine and stock before the proteins go in.
Modifying this dish for dietary restrictions requires understanding how different seafood behaves in liquid. Shellfish like clams and mussels demand precise timing to prevent rubbery textures, opening reliably within five to seven minutes of gentle simmering. For dairy-free diets, replace the three-quarters cup of butter with a robust olive oil, though this alters the sauce's final emulsion. Vegetarians can substitute the chicken stock with a rich mushroom broth and swap the seafood for hearty root vegetables and white beans, keeping the foundational garlic, basil, and oregano profile intact.
Scaling quantities upward for larger gatherings presents challenges with pot capacity and heat distribution. A six-quart stockpot handles two servings easily, but doubling or tripling the seafood volume crowds the vessel and causes uneven cooking. Batch-cooking the broth works best when feeding a crowd, adding seafood in waves so the delicate scallops and shrimp never overcook. Keep the heat at a low simmer once the seafood enters the pot to maintain tender muscle fibers.
Crusty artisan bread remains essential for absorbing the rich broth left at the bottom of the shallow bowls. Dry white wine used in the cooking process should be crisp and acidic, cutting through the heavy fat content of the butter and shellfish. Store any leftover broth separately from the seafood if planning to consume it later, as reheated shellfish toughens rapidly.
