Cristina’s Cioppino Recipe
Cioppino was a dish created by Italian-Americans who settled in the North Beach section of San Francisco. It was inspired by regional seafood stews from the old country fishermen originally made on the boats while out at sea.
The dish later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated throughout the city. The name comes from “ciuppin,” the name for the local Genoan fish stew in the Ligurian dialect. Similar seafood soups were found throughout the port cities of the Mediterranean but this recipe is very close to the SF originals my family enjoyed growing up in SF!
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 small fennel bulb, cored and diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups clam juice
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 little neck clams, scrubbed
½ pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 pound cod or halibut filets, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Dungeness crab, cooked, cleaned and cracked–if available to you (traditional to the recipe)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Add oil and butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.
Add onion and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in wine, diced tomatoes, stock, clam juice and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, about 15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Stir in clams and mussels. Reduce heat to low; cover, with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the clams and mussels are just beginning to open, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in cod or halibut, shrimp, and crab–if using. Reduce heat and simmer until cod or halibut and shrimp are just cooked through, the crab is heated through, and clams and mussels have opened completely, about 3-4 minutes.
Discard any unopened clams and mussels.
Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve immediately in wide, shallow bowls—serve with crispy, chewy sourdough garlic bread.
Pairs Well With….
The Pinot Noir grape delivers bright acidity and soft yet subtle characteristics of strawberry, watermelon and a touch of wet riverstone, driving this rosé home! Weighty, clean finish. This will be your new automatic fridge grabber for laid back days and lazy nights! Perfect with all holiday lunches—great for drop in guests (yikes–but at least you’ll be ready) and perfect for an Easter Holiday sipper! Versatile, easy on the eyes and wallet, tasty as heck–can’t miss!
