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
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