CIOPPINO (Fisherman's Stew with The Catch of The Day)

Cioppino, pronounced “chuh-Pee-no,” is an Italian-American seafood stew made with the catch of the day. San Francisco Italian-Americans invented this recipe in the 1800s, and it must include Dungeness crab. Most countries that border the ocean have their own seafood stew. The French have a Provençal stew called bouillabaisse. In Chile, they have caldillo de congrio. In Brazil, it’s moqueca, and in Positano, Italy, they have pesce all’aqua pazza or “fish in crazy water.” 

Because I now live on the East coast, I use Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab meat instead of Dungeness crab. 

Soffrito “under-fried”

2 T olive oil or avocado oil

1 large leek, cleaned, white part diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely minced

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the olive oil; over low heat, sauté the leek and carrot for 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the bay leaves and and garlic.

Sauté for another 2 minutes.

Set aside.

Seafood

18 Little to middle Neck fresh clams

18 fresh mussels

1 28 oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes or 3 cups of your own marinara sauce

1 cup Pinot Grigio or other dry white wine

½ t freeze-dried oregano

4 sprigs thyme, tied together with butcher's twine, ½ t freeze-dried thyme

½ t red pepper flakes (optional)

4 (8 oz) bottles clam broth

1½ lbs fillet of cod or other white fish, cut into bite-size pieces

1½ lbs extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

12 sea scallops, cut in half

3 T unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb cooked Chesapeake Bay lump crab meat

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

If using wild mussels, remove the beards with a pair of “kitchen only” needle-nose pliers, just before adding to sauce in large pot.

Scrub the mussels and clams with a brush under cold running water; set aside in two separate bowls of cold water for 15 minutes.

Add the wine and the clam broth to the pot with the soffrito and heat to a simmer.

Because clams here near the Chesapeake bay tend to be very sandy, I steam them in a separate 2 quart pan, with ¼ cup water for 10 to 12 minutes, partially covered until they open.  Pour off the sandy water and cover with a lid to keep warm.

Add the the mussels to the pot with soffrito and simmer, covered another 5 minutes.

Remove mussels with a slotted spoon and place in the pan with the clams, cover and set aside.

Discard any that failed to open.

To the pot, add the can of crushed tomatoes and simmer for a 15 minutes.

Add the fish, shrimp, and scallops.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer another 5 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and add most of the crab meat.

Heat for a couple of minutes.

Arrange the mussels and clams in each bowl.

Divide the cioppino on top, leaving most of the broth in the pan.

Top with the reserved crabmeat in the center of each bowl and ladle the rest of the hot broth over each bowl.

Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve immediately with warm crusty bread.

Serves 6

CHICKEN LOMBARDY - Pollo al Marsala Lombardo

In Italy, this dish is called Pollo al Marsala Lombardo (Chicken Marsala) and made without cheese. With the addition of cheese and green onions, it is an Italian-American version. The capital of Lombardia is Milano (Milan). The regional cuisine is based on butter, lard, pork, and veal.

If you want to serve this for company, prepare it in the morning, refrigerate, and let sit on your counter for 30 minutes before baking.
Serve with risotto, or pasta, or even roasted potatoes and a green salad.

4 T avocado oil

10 cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

4 boneless chicken breasts

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup marsala wine

¾ cup chicken stock or broth

2 T unsalted butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup shredded asiago cheese

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano cheese

2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Lower heat to medium and add the onion and cook another 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook another minute.
Spoon half of this mixture into a baking dish and the rest in a bowl and set aside.

Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise.
Pour flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off the excess.

In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil and brown half of the chicken on both sides until golden, about 4 minutes per side.
Place cooked chicken on top of mushroom mixture in baking dish.
Add the final tablespoon of oil to the skillet and brown the rest of the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.

Add to baking dish.
Spoon the rest of the mushroom mixture on top of the chicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the wine and chicken stock to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
Add the butter and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and pour over the chicken in the baking dish.

Combine the cheeses with the scallions and sprinkle over chicken.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 4 to 6

RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE SAUCE

In my Italian-American cookbook, I make serve this Italian Sausage Sauce over pappardelle pasta.  I love the way the sauce gets into the rigatoni, and now this is my favorite pasta with this sauce.

1 lb mild or hot Italian sausages, about 5 links

½ cup good dry Italian white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

2 T olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 (28-oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes

2 T tomato paste

1 t freeze-dried or dried oregano

1 t minced fresh basil or freeze-dried basil

1 t red pepper flakes, optional

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb rigatoni pasta

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

Remove sausage from casings and place in a large bowl.

Pour in some of the white wine and crush with hands until sausage is in small pieces.

The wine makes it easier to break up the sausage.

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. 

Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add garlic and sauté another minute.

Add the sausages and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add the rest of the wine and cook until wine has mostly evaporated.

In the same large bowl, pour in the tomatoes and hand-crush them, removing the hard center cores. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to chop the tomatoes.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot along with the oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer 30 minutes.

Boil the pasta in salted water for about 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente.

Save about a ladle full of pasta water to pour into the sausage sauce.

Drain the pasta and pour back into the pot.

Add a couple ladles of the sausage sauce and toss.

Spoon into warm pasta bowls and add a little more sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Serves 4

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

This is one of my favorite salads. Sometimes this salad is on the menu in a pizza restaurant.  Add whatever you like to make it your own. 

Garlic-Parmigiano Salad Dressing

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 T minced shallot

¼ cup red or white wine vinegar

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 t dry mustard

¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 t freeze-dried or dried oregano 

2 t freeze-dried or dried basil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained

2 heads Romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped

2 cups coarsely chopped arugula or spring mix

3 oz Sopressata or Calabrese salami

½ cup sun-dried tomatoes

6 pepperoncini, stems removed 

½ red onion, thinly sliced

½ cup pitted black Italian olives

¼ cup green olives, in a jar

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Place the salad dressing ingredients in a jar fitted with a lid and shake to combine.

Place the chickpeas in a bowl and pour about 2 tablespoons of the salad dressing over to marinate for 30 minutes.

Store dressing and chickpeas in the refrigerator until ready to dress the salad.

On a large cutting board pile up the lettuces and chop until bite-size pieces.

Transfer to a large salad bowl.

Do the same with the salami, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, onion slices, olives and mozzarella.

Chop through them all, until bite-size pieces.

Transfer to a large salad bowl, add toss with some of the Garlic-Parmigiano Salad Dressing.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Top with some of the garbanzo beans and sprinkle with the Parmigiano and serve.

You will have more salad dressing for another salad or two.

Serves 4

CLASSIC CAPRESE SALAD

This is the time of the year, if you live where it is now the summer season, to make Caprese salad at its best.  It is so simple and all you need are homegrown tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese.  Authentic Caprese salad does not have vinegar, of any kind, drizzled over it.  The only seasoning added is extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

3 medium-large homegrown tomatoes, sliced into ¼ inch slices

1 (1-lb) ball fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced or log of pre-sliced fresh mozzarella 

1 bunch of large basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil (best quality you can find)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Start with a slice of mozzarella, place a slice of tomato in front of it and then tuck in one or two basil leaves.  Working around in a circle until the circle meets.  

Generously drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 2 to 3

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH DRY VERMOUTH

There are two kinds of scallops, sea and bay scallops. These are large east coast sea scallops. Make sure they are very fresh. They should smell like the sea or almost sweet.

They cook very quickly and the secret to browning is to dry them off with paper towels and do not turn them until they are brown.

10 sea scallops

1 T unsalted butter

1 T extra-light olive oil or avocado oil

½ cup dry Italian vermouth

Juice of ½ lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T unsalted butter

Rinse scallops under cold water and place on a double layer of paper towels.

Pat completely dry.

Have the butter and oil ready to add to a skillet.

Put the rest of the ingredients into little bowls, ready to add to the skillet.

Season scallops with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat.

Add the scallops in a single layer, not touching each other.

Brown on one side for about 2 to 3 minutes. 

Do move scallops until they are brown, you can peek under one to see.

Turn scallops over with tongs and brown on the other side.

Remove scallops to a plate and set aside.

Lower heat in skillet to medium-low.

Add the vermouth and lemon juice.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook for a minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the two tablespoons of butter, then return the scallops to the pan and cook another few seconds to warm scallops. Do not overcook.

Serve with pan sauce over scallops.

Suggestion: Serve with a green vegetable and risotto.

Serves 2

BAKED EGGPLANT PARMIGIANO WITH PROVOLONE & SWISS CHARD

The eggplants are so crispy and are baked in the oven.  I made a marinara sauce with canned cherry tomatoes and sautéed some Swiss chard and that was spooned under the marinara sauce. I peel the eggplant leaving stripes; otherwise, the peel can be quite chewy.

Lee's Kitchen Tips:
I saved the larger slices for the dishes and just had a few smaller ones for my husband to enjoy, plain, right out of the oven.

Baked Eggplants
2 large eggplants, partially peeled and cut into ½-inch thick slices.

1 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 T water
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cherry Tomato Marina Sauce
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 14-oz cans cherry tomatoes
1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Swiss Chard
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed of middle stems and chopped 

In a shallow bowl, add the flour and season generously with salt and pepper.
In a second shallow bowl, whisk the egg with the water.
In a third shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, panko, and grated Parmigiano.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle some oil on a large baking sheet pan and set aside.
Dip eggplant slices in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture and finally in bread crumb mixture.
Place eggplant slices on the baking sheet and drizzle a little more oil on top.
Bake for 20 minutes, flip each one over, and bake another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little more Parmigiano and add a piece of provolone cheese on top.
Place back in oven for cheese to melt, about 3 to 4 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat the oil over low heat and sauté
the garlic red pepper flakes for a minute or two.
Add the cherry tomatoes and mash lightly with a fork or potato masher.  Leave the tomatoes mostly whole.  Simmer for 20 minutes, add basil and season with salt and pepper
Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, add the olive oil and sauté
the Swiss chard until soft, about 5 minutes.  
Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
Set aside and keep warm.

To Assemble
Spoon half of the chard in the middle of a plate.
Ladle on some cherry tomato sauce.
Add 4 slices of the eggplant and garnish with basil, if desired.

Serves 2