Cioppino

Name: Cioppino
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano plum tomatoes in juice (you can also use an equal amount of stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes in juice); 2 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice; 5 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large yellow onion, chopped; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 1/2 cups dry white wine; 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 pound Manila or littleneck clams in the shell, scrubbed; 1 pound mussels in the shell, scrubbed and debearded; 3/4 pound large sea scallops, tough adductor muscles trimmed from sides if necessary; 1 1/2 pounds firm white fish like halibut, snapper, cod, or sea bass (or a mixture thereof), skinned, deboned, and cut into 2-inch chunks; 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional); 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped; kosher salt, to taste; freshly ground black pepper, to taste

San Francisco Bay Area Soup Dinner Party Fish Shellfish Tomatoes Dinner Italian-American Medium Sautéing Seafood White Wine Olive Oil Clams Mussels Scallops Shrimp Basil Bay Leaf Oregano Thyme Garlic Onions Kosher Salt Black Pepper

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6 servings Medium

Total: 1 hr 30 min

1 Rating

Ingredients (20)

1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano plum tomatoes in juice (you can also use an equal amount of stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes in juice)
2 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound Manila or littleneck clams in the shell, scrubbed
1 pound mussels in the shell, scrubbed and debearded
3/4 pound large sea scallops, tough adductor muscles trimmed from sides if necessary
1 1/2 pounds firm white fish like halibut, snapper, cod, or sea bass (or a mixture thereof), skinned, deboned, and cut into 2-inch chunks
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Nutritional Information

Calories534
Fat17.49g
Saturated fat2.97g
Trans fat0.03g
Carbs20.41g
Fiber3.23g
Sugar5.64g
Protein65.43g
Cholesterol199.2mg
Sodium1954.62mg
Nutritional Analysis per serving (6 servings) Powered by

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Cioppino is an Italian-American seafood stew that originated in San Francisco in the 1930s, when fishermen brought their fresh catch to the docks and a little bit of everything was added to the soup pot the workers shared—which is one urban-legend explanation for the name; some sources claim “cioppino” was Italian-American slang for “chip in”. In reality, it derives from a Ligurian soup called ciuppin, which literally means chopped. The base of the stew is a wonderfully garlicky tomato broth with white wine and herbs, but the type of seafood you use is endlessly adaptable, so don’t feel constrained by this specific recipe (which was inspired, in part, by two of our Chowhound users, nstrada and giod).

Variations: The whole point is to use whatever’s freshest, and whatever you like best, so add crab or lobster, or double up on the shrimp and cut out the mussels, even try adding salmon in place of the firm white fish, or a little sliced calamari at the very end of cooking; just shoot for about 5 pounds of seafood in total. Some people like to sauté a little chopped celery and carrot along with the onion, and even a bit of bell pepper for additional sweetness, but we’ve gone light on the vegetables in general to really highlight the seafood. Feel free to add more to your mirepoix if you prefer.

Serve with: Garlic bread or toasted sourdough—perfect for mopping up all the rich, sweet, garlicky tomato broth left in the bowl.

Make ahead: You can make the broth a day or so ahead and refrigerate it, which can help to meld the flavors, then bring it back to a gentle simmer and cook the seafood in it just prior to serving.

For more true San Francisco treats, get Mission Chinese Food’s Chicken Wings with Explosive Chile recipe, and The Slanted Door’s Vietnamese Shaking Beef recipe.

by Chowhound Editors

Tips for Fish and Shrimp

Tip

How to Store Fish

The best way to store fish is over ice. Remove the fish from its original packaging, rinse under cold water, and dry with paper towels. Set fish on a cooling rack and place inside a container filled with crushed ice. The ice should reach just beneath the fish, but shouldn’t touch it. Cover the container, rack, and fish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge. If the fish is stored longer than 24 hours, be sure to swap out the melted ice with a new batch. Ideally, any fresh fish should not be stored for more than two days.

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Next: How to Freeze Fish

Tip

How to Freeze Fish

Some fish can be frozen for up to year (with three months as the standard), but its freshness depends entirely on its exposure to air. To limit this from taking place, you should first clean the fish, wrap it in aluminum foil or freezer paper, and place it in a freezer bag. Press down on the bag before closing to eliminate any excess air.

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Next: How to Thaw Fish

Tip

How to Thaw Fish

Thawing frozen fish is quite an easy process. Simply leave it in the refrigerator overnight or place the wrapped fish in a bowl of cold water. Don’t microwave the fish, as some sections will cook while others are continuing to thaw.

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Next: How to Store Shrimp

Tip

How to Store Shrimp

Shrimp like to breathe, otherwise they start to get smelly. To avoid foul seafood, you’ll first want to store your shrimp in the coldest part of your fridge. If the shrimp was purchased in a bag, open the bag and place a paper towel over the top. Proceed to transfer the bag to a bowl of ice. The shrimp should be okay to use for up to two days.

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Next: How to Freeze Shrimp

Tip

How to Freeze Shrimp

For maximum shelf life, freeze raw shrimp with their heads removed, but shells still intact. Package the shrimp in freezer bags leaving about a quarter of an inch of space at the top. Frozen shrimp can last from three to six months before needing to be discarded.

5 of 6

Next: How to Thaw Shrimp

Tip

How to Thaw Shrimp

Like fish, frozen shrimp should either be left in the refrigerator overnight or thawed in a bowl of cold water. Never re-freeze shrimp. Most seafood is usually frozen prior to arriving at the grocery store and you don’t want to freeze it for a second time.

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Next: How to Store Fish

Instructions

1Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil and allow to heat for another 30 seconds or so until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring, for another minute. Do not let garlic brown.
2Stir in the tomato paste and sauté for another minute, stirring all the while. Stir in the oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper, then add the white wine and stir to combine. Allow to simmer until the wine is reduced by half, about four minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, along with the fish stock or clam juice, and stir to combine. If using whole or crushed tomatoes, use a wooden spoon to break them up into smaller pieces. Bring the liquid back to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, but do not allow to boil.
3When the flavors of the broth have come together, add the clams and mussels to the pot and cover; cook for about 5 minutes, then add the shrimp, scallops, and fish, and gently simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked through.
4Discard any clams and mussels that have not opened. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper as needed. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs and stir in the fresh basil if using, then serve the soup immediately, dividing the different types of seafood evenly among the bowls and garnishing each with parsley.

Photo by Foodio/Shutterstock.

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