Cioppino
Equipment
- 1 Fine Mesh Sieve if making Homemade Seafood Stock
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion diced small
- ½ large fennel trimmed and diced small
- Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Saffron big pinch
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste only if using store-bought seafood stock
- ½ cup dry white wine
- Homemade Seafood Stock recipe below (use 1 quart store-bought seafood stock if not making your own)
- ½ 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs thyme
- ½ lb. manila clams scrubbed clean and soaked in saltwater for 15 minutes, then drained
- ½ lb. Chilean sea bass
- 1 lobster tail, in shell shell removed and reserved for homemade stock, tail cut in half lengthwise
- 6 large shell-on shrimp shells removed and reserved for homemade stock, and deveined
- ¼ lb. bay scallops
- Fresh dill as garnish
- Toasted or Grilled Bread for dipping
For the Homemade Stock:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lobster tail shell cut in half
- 6 large shrimp shells broken into pieces
- ½ yellow onion diced small
- ½ large fennel trimmed and diced small
- 2 garlic cloves peeled, and smashed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1 quart fish stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
For the Soup:
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, fennel, and a big pinch of Kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, until translucent (lower the heat and add a splash of water if browning too quickly).
- Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for 30 seconds. Then add red pepper flakes and saffron (and 1 tablespoon tomato paste if not making your own stock) and cook, stirring often, for another 30 seconds.
- Add white wine and cook, scraping any brown spots from the bottom of the pot, until reduced by half.
- Add stock, crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes, until slightly thickened, skimming any fat from the top. Taste and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (the broth needs to be seasoned before the fish is added).
- Add clams and cook until most of the clams have opened, 2 minutes. Add the sea bass, lobster, shrimp, and bay scallops and cook until tender, 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Taste and season again with Kosher salt and freshy ground black pepper, if needed.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with dill.
For the Homemade Stock:
- Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add lobster and shrimp shells and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
- Add another drizzle of olive oil, onions, fennel, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes.
- Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant and darkened in color.
- Add white wine, fish stock, water, bay leaf, thyme, and black peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer. Turn heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes, skimming any foam that appears from the top.
- Strain stock through a fine mesh sieve, reserving for Cioppino.
Notes
Seafood Stock can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cioppino can be made ahead of time as well:
- Either make the broth up to the step where the seafood is added and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring broth to a boil, season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, and continue by cooking the seafood.
- Or cook seafood in the broth, per the recipe, and remove with a slotted spoon once cooked. Store seafood and broth separately in airtight containers for up to 1 day. Reheat by bringing broth to a boil, adding seafood, and cooking until warmed through 30 seconds to 1 minute. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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