Cioppino Recipe: Tips for Making Classic Seafood Stew
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 18, 2024 • 2 min read
There’s no finer dish for beating back chilly weather than cioppino, a fresh seafood stew borne from the foggy wharves of San Francisco.
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What Is Cioppino?
Cioppino is an Italian-American seafood stew that traditionally features the “day’s catch”—a variety of ingredients, including white fish, shellfish like clams, mussels, scallops, and Dungeness crab, or calamari (squid)—in a tomato and wine-based broth seasoned with Italian spices.
Cioppino is much thinner than gumbo, a thick, flavorful stew from southern Louisiana thickened with dark roux and okra. The stew is a little like French bouillabaisse but skips the spicy mayonnaise (rouille), saffron, thyme, and dried orange.
A Brief History of Cioppino
Cioppino originated in San Francisco, California, brought to the area by Italian immigrants who settled there in the late nineteenth century, many of whom were fishermen by trade. This uniquely Italian-American stew is named after a Genoese dish, ciuppin, featuring local ingredients in a familiar format.
3 Tips for Making Cioppino
Cioppino is more of a format than a hard-and-fast recipe: Use whichever options look best at the fish counter, and taste often:
- 1. Soak the mussels or clams beforehand. Add the mussels or clams to a large bowl of very salty water and allow them to soak for at least thirty minutes. This process draws out any remaining bits of sand or grit. To drain, lift the shellfish out with your hands instead of pouring them into a strainer. This technique will ensure that the sand stays at the bottom of the bowl (instead of all over the cleaned shells). Repeat the process for the best results.
- 2. If they’re in season, use fresh tomatoes. Cioppino is a fantastic chance to use up a bounty of ripe tomatoes. For a light tomato broth, skip the tomato paste, or keep it in for a richer flavor and texture.
- 3. Allow the seafood to cook. To preserve the shape and texture of more delicate ingredients like white fish or crab, place these items into the hot broth separately, then allow them to cook without agitating the stew.
Spicy Cioppino Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
35 mincook time
25 minIngredients
- 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
- 2
Add the fennel, reserving a handful of slices for garnish, and the diced onions or shallots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Add the minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and oregano, and continue to cook until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.
- 4
Add the tomato paste and Calabrian chili, and stir to combine. Cook until the paste darkens to a deep red, 3–4 minutes.
- 5
Deglaze the pot with white wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom. Add the can of tomatoes, clam juice, and bay leaf to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a rolling simmer.
- 6
Add the fish, shrimp, and shellfish, and cover. Cook until the fish is opaque and cooked through, the shrimp is pale pink, and the shellfish have opened, about 10–15 minutes.
- 7
Add the crabmeat (if using) and cook for another minute or two—without stirring—until the crab is warm.
- 8
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- 9
Ladle the stew into serving bowls and top with chopped parsley and reserved fennel fronds and slices. Serve with slices of bread for dipping.
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