Christmas

Cioppino

May 13, 2015
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  • Serves 6-8 people
Author Notes

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. If dungeon crab is not available use king crab legs or local crabs where you live. —Sunnycovechef

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Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 cups diced red onions
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 large red pepper , chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 tsp. tried oregano
  • 2 cups white wine
  • 8 ounces clam juice
  • 1 28 - 32 once can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 pound sea scallops
  • 1 pound tilapia or other white firm fish
  • 20 clams
  • 20 mussels
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled with tails on
  • 1 or more Dungeness crab , cracked and cleaned, or king crab legs
Directions
  1. 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. This can be prepared the day before.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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