Cioppino

Cioppino is a tomato-based seafood stew created by Italian immigrant fishermen in San Francisco's North Beach in the late 1800s, who combined their Ligurian cooking traditions with the day's local catch. It brims with clams, mussels, shrimp, and firm white fish in a garlicky, wine-spiked tomato broth, meant to be eaten with crusty bread for mopping up every drop.

By YumYum Editorial · Italian

Prep: 30 min · Cook: 45 min · Total: 75 min · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 cups seafood or fish stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 lb clams, scrubbed
• 1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1 lb firm white fish (halibut or cod), cut into chunks
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 8 oz crab legs or claws (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• to taste Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the onion and fennel until softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Pour in the white wine, scrape up any browned bits, and simmer for 3-4 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, bay leaves, and oregano, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to develop the broth.
5. Season the broth with salt and pepper, then add the clams and mussels, cover, and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to open.
6. Nestle the fish chunks and crab legs into the broth and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
7. Add the shrimp and cook for a final 2-3 minutes until opaque and the shellfish are fully open, discarding any that stay closed.
8. Ladle into large bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.