California Coastal Cioppino Recipes

SAN FRANCISCO CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Make the stew base. Heat a large stew pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Simmer the wine until reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes, peppers, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock or broths; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the base, with a cover slightly ajar, for 30 minutes. (The base may be prepared ahead up to this point, refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for 1 month).
• Finish the Cioppino. Bring the base to a simmer. Add the basil and the clams, and cook covered, over high heat, for 5 minutes, or just until the clams open. Add the crab and cook for 1 minute. Add the mussels, shrimp, squid, and scallops. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mussels open, the shrimp curl, and squid and scallops are just firm, about 3 minutes. Serve in large heated bowls with plenty of crusty bread.

CALIFORNIA CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Saute onion and garlic over moderate heat in olive oil until soft but not browned.
• Add parsley, tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, water, vinegar and herbs.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes.
• (Basic sauce can be made ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Heat sauce before adding to seafood.)
• While sauce is simmering, rinse all fish and seafood in cold water.
• Scrub clams thoroughly.
• Layer all seafood in large kettle, placing clams and mussels on top.
• Pour hot sauce over all.
• Cover tightly.
• Cook over low heat about 20 minutes, or until clams and mussels open and prawns turn pink.
• To serve, ladle hot sauce and some seafood into soup plates or large soup bowls.
• Lot of sour french bread.
• Enjoy.

CIOPPINO

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add clams and 1/2 cup white wine and cook until clams open, about 5 to 6 minutes (discard any clams that don't open). Remove clams and any liquid in the skillet and set aside. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add mussels and 1/2 cup white wine and cook until mussels open, about 5 to 6 minutes (discard any mussels that don't open). Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place halibut skin-side down on a cedar plank that has been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes (alternately use a baking sheet). Season halibut with Espelette pepper, fennel pollen and salt. Roast until cooked through and flaky, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil. When shimmering, add onions and fennel bulb. Stir and cook until the onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes and remaining 1 cup white wine. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover, add shrimp and let steam from the heat of the liquid, 2 to 3 minutes.
• To serve, add mussels and clams and their broth to the tomato mixture. Place cioppino in a large serving bowl. Nestle halibut on top. Garnish with fennel fronds. Serve.

SEAFOOD CIOPPINO

Steps:

• In a large pan that's at least 2 inches deep, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and fish and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp and scallops and cook, stirring occasionally and flipping the fish once, about 2 minutes more.
• Add the tomato, mussels, clams, and crab and pour the white wine over everything. Add the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the basil. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels start to open, about 4 minutes. (Discard any that don't open.)
• Remove from heat and divide the seafood and broth among 4 large shallow soup or pasta bowls. Garnish with basil sprigs and serve.

SAN FRANCISCO-STYLE CIOPPINO

Steps:

• For the tomato base: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrots, onions, peppers, and celery, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, herbs, and seasonings and cook until fragrant. Add the wine, vinegar, Worcestershire, and hot sauce and reduce until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the tomatoes and all of the fish stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine strainer, discarding the solids.
• For the seafood: Place the strained liquid into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Add the crab, clams, mussels, and sea bass, cover the pot, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the prawns and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
• To serve: Divide the seafood into 6 large bowls and ladle the broth over top. Serve with garlic bread.
• In a large pot, add all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain, reserving the broth and discarding the solids.