Seafood Cioppino!
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
2 medium onion, chopped
1 bulb of fresh fennel, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch parsley leaves, minced
2 (14.5-ounce) cans plum tomatoes, undrained and cut up
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon basil leaves, dried
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, dried
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves, dried
1 1/2 cups dry white wine (or red, whichever you prefer)
Seafood options:
Option 1: Use frozen seafood medley- buy from Costco
OR
Option 2: Using Fresh seafood listed below or use whatever seafood you like to eat
12 small hard-shell clams in shell
12 mussels in shell
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined**
1 1/2 pounds bay scallops
1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (halibut, cod, or salmon), cut into bite-size chunks
1 1/2 cups Dungeness crab meat, flaked
Instructions:
In a large soup pot or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt butter; add onions, garlic, fennel, and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened.
Add tomatoes, clam juice, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, and red or white wine; bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. If sauce becomes too thick, thin with additional wine or water.
NOTE: At this point, stock may be refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days before using. To use stock that has been refrigerated, reheat to boiling and then reduce heat to low, until broth is simmering gently.
If using option1 frozen seafood:
Pour entire package into stock and cook for approx 8 min or until seafood is cooked. Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste.
If using option 2 fresh seafood:
Scrub clams and mussels with a small stiff brush under cold running water; remove beards from mussels. Discard any open clams or mussels. Cover with cold salted water; let stand 5 minutes and then pour off the salted water.
Gently stir in the clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish fillets, and crab meat to the prepared stock. Cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams pop open and shrimp are opaque when cut. NOTE: Do not overcook the seafood (the seafood continues to cook after it is removed from the pan). Remove bay leaves; season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Remove cioppino from heat and ladle broth and seafood into large soup bowls and serve with garlic bread, sourdough, or pasta.
(photos courtesy of Pearl Yee)
