Seafood Stew (Italian San Franciscan Cioppino)

Cioppino is an Italian-American dish originating in the 1880’s from San Francisco. Traditionally, Cioppino would have been prepared with whatever had been caught that day. In San Francisco, this would have meant Dungeness crab, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels, and any fish that would have been caught in the Pacific Ocean. The seafood is then combined with a deeply flavourful broth made from tomatoes and white wine. Its name, Cioppino, comes from the word “ciuppin“, the name of a soup with similar flavours but prepared with less tomato and with Mediterranean seafood from Liguria, Italy. Enjoy this easy and delicious one-pot Cioppino recipe for a special weeknight or holiday meal.

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp. dry red pepper flakes
¼ cup tomato paste
2 cups white wine
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 (30 oz) can clam juice or fish broth
1 lb mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1½ lbs clams, scrubbed
½ lb calamari
1½ lbs halibut or other firm white fish
1 lb salmon
½ lb scallops
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, uncooked
1 lb king crab legs
fresh parsley, chopped

Add the olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and shallots and mix well to combine. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes, or until the onions start to soften and turn translucent. Stir often. Add the diced bell pepper to the onion and continue to cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic and sauté, stirring continuously, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the dried oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper and mix well to combine. Mix the tomato paste with the cooked onions, mixing well to combine and stirring constantly to prevent burning. Allow the tomato paste to cook with the onions for 1-2 minutes before adding the white wine.

Increase heat to high. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, and fish/clam broth. Mix well and bring to a low boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for approximately 25 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the pot, cover, and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open (approximately 5-10 minutes). Discard any clams and mussels that do not open. Add the calamari and fish and cook for 5 minutes, gently mixing to combine. Next, add the scallops and shrimp, and cook, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Last, but not least, add the crab legs to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh fresh parsley, chopped and fresh parmesan cheese and serve with crunchy toasted buttery bread, or, mashed potatoes (not traditional, but amazing!)

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes: If you would like to freeze Cioppino, I recommend freezing the broth before adding any fish or seafood. This recipe stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.