Cioppino
Originating in San Francisco, this tomato-based seafood stew is traditionally filled with whatever seafood is fresh at the market. Since plenty of seafood is available year-round, I went with four of my favorites: shrimp, mussels, scallops and flounder. Feel free to leave any of them out, or swap out. The soup base is made from crushed tomatoes and fish stock that results in a punchy, seafood forward broth. You could even resort to chicken or vegetable stock if you’re in a pinch. The perfect accompaniment to Cioppino has got to be crusty bread to sop up any remaining soup.
Ingredients
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. dry white wine
1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
8-oz. fish stock
2 c. water
2 dried bay leaves
1 2″-thick strip orange zest (optional)
6 sea scallops
1 dozen mussels, scrubbed
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. flounder, and cut into 1″ pieces
1/4 c. freshly chopped parsley, for serving
Baguette, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving .
Directions
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft and translucent, 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Add wine and let boil until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Add tomatoes, clam juice, water, bay leaves, and orange zest (if using). Stir to combine, bring to a low simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and orange zest. Add mussels in an even layer, then shrimp, scallops, then flounder. Do not stir. Cover again and cook for 5 more minutes, or until mussels are opened and shrimp, scallops and fish are cooked through and opaque. Discard any unopened mussels. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls with chopped parsley. Serve with baguette and lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Thank you for trying this recipe. Please let me know how you liked it.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please take a look at other recipes on my fast, simple and good seafood page.
Cioppino