Anthony’s Cioppino Recipe

Cioppino is an Italian fish stew that was created in San Francisco in the1800’s by Portuguese and Italian  fisherman.  It is traditionally made from crab, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, squid and a white fish such as cod or halibut.  Below is my recipe for a delicious cioppino that is made from shrimp, clams, mussels, crab, sea scallops, halibut, onion, shallots, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, chicken broth, white wine, clam juice, tomato paste, basil, parsley and other ingredients.  This dish will definitely impress your guests.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, shelled (keep the tail on) and de-veined, reserve the shells
3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) bottle of clam juice
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 large shallots, chopped
1/2 leek, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 teaspoons of salt
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup of tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes in juice
3/4 cup of dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 pound of littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound of mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 1/2 pounds of crab legs
3/4 pound of sea scallops
1 1/2 pounds of halibut, cut into 2 inch chunks
1⁄2 bunch parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Take a Stockpot or a large saucepan and add in your reserved shrimp shells and 4 1/2 cups of water and place your pot over a medium high heat and bring your water to a boil. One it comes to a boil reduce your heat to a medium low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Next, strain the stock and then add in your clam juice and the chicken broth. You should now have about 2 quarts of stock. You will want to discard your shells and set your stock aside.

Now, take a large pot or Dutch oven and add in your oil and place your pot over a medium heat.  When  your oil starts to shimmer add in your onion, shallots, leeks, carrots  and salt and sauté until the onion is translucent.  This should take about 10 minutes.  Then add in your garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté for an additional minute.  Next, stir in your tomato paste and then add in the stock that you had set aside, tomatoes with their juices, wine, basil and bay leaf.   Now, cover your pot and bring to a simmer.  At this point reduce to a medium low heat and then simmer for 30 minutes.

You now want to add in your clams, mussels and crab and then cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open.  This should take about 5 minutes.   Next add in your shrimp, scallops and halibut and simmer until the halibut, scallops and shrimp are just cooked through, and your clams and mussels are completely open.  This should take about 5 minutes longer.  Make certain that you throw away any clams or mussels that have not opened since they are not safe to eat.   Lastly, remove your bay leaf, give your cioppino a taste and season your cioppino if needed.  Then add in your parsley, give it a stir and serve your cioppino.  I suggest serving it with some crusty bread and a salad.