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Cioppino
(pronounced chuh-PEE-no) is considered San Francisco's signature dish, and no
trip to this West Coast city would be complete without a bowlful. Because of the
versatility of the ingredients, there are numerous recipes for it. Cioppino can
be prepared with a dozen kinds of fish and shellfish It all depends on the day's
catch of your personal choice. This fish
stew first became popular on the docks of San Francisco (now known as
Fisherman's wharf) in the 1930s. Cioppino is thought to be the result of Italian
immigrant fishermen adding something from the day's catch to the communal stew
kettle on the wharf. The origin of the work "cioppino" is something of a
mystery, and many historians believe that it is Italian-American for "chip in."
It is also believed that the name comes from a Genoese fish stew called cioppin.
You will
not believe how easy it is to make this Cioppino. The key to this recipe is
experimentation. Be creative with this fish stew: Leave something out, or
substitute something new. Serve cioppino with a glass of your favorite wine and
hot sourdough bread.
Check out my
San Francisco Cioppino Dinner Menu
and
Taste of California Dinner
(Cioppino Dinner)
using this delicious
Cioppino recipe.
San Francisco Cioppino Recipe
Recipe Type:
Soup & Stew,
Shrimp,
Clams,
Scallops,
Crab,
Seafood
Yields: 8 to 10 servings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 hr
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
2 medium
onion, chopped
3 cloves
garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley leaves, minced
2 (14.5-ounce) cans plum tomatoes undrained and cup up*
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried
basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried
thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 1/2 cups dry red or white
wine (whichever you prefer)
12 small hard-shell clams in shell
12 mussels in shell
1 1/2 pounds raw extra-large
shrimp, peeled and deveined**
1 1/2 pounds bay scallops
1 1/2 pounds fish fillets (halibut, cod, or salmon), cut into bite-size chunks
1 1/2 cups flaked Dungeness crab meat
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
* To easily cut up the tomatoes, use a sharp knife and cut through the tomatoes while still in the can.
** To add additional flavor, place the shells of
the shrimp in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer over low heat
approximately 7 to 10 minutes. remove from heat and strain the broth; discarding
shells. Add shrimp broth to soup broth.
Preparation:
In a large soup pot or cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt butter; add onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. Add tomatoes, clam juice, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, and red or white wine; bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer
approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. If sauce becomes too thick, thin with additional wine or water.
NOTE: At this point, stock may be refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days before using. To use stock that has been refrigerated, reheat to boiling and then reduce heat to low, until broth is simmering gently.
Scrub clams and mussels with a small stiff brush under cold running water; remove beards from mussels. Discard any open clams or mussels. Cover with cold
salted water; let stand 5 minutes and then pour off the salted water.
Gently stir in the clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish fillets, and crab meat
to the prepared stock. Cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams pop open and shrimp are opaque when cut.
NOTE: Do not overcook the seafood (the seafood continues to cook after it is removed from the pan). Remove bay leaves; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from from heat and ladle broth and seafood into large soup bowls and serve.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
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