Cioppino (Italian Seafood Soup)
- Serving Size: 8-10
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes
- Total Cooking time: 35-45 minutes
When most people think of traditional dishes served around Christmas time, they tend to think of things like roast turkey with stuffing, standing rib roast with horseradish sauce, or Baked Ham with Honey Mustard sauce. But if you were to ask a family from certain coastal regions of Italy what traditional Christmas dinner is, the first thing to come to mind would be Cioppino, a delicious fish stew that originated aboard traveling merchant ships. A cousin of French Bouillabaisse, the ingredients can vary depending on region and the availability of seasonal fish and shellfish. In this area and the bay area such ingredients usually consist of ling cod, shrimp, hard-shell clams, scallops, calamari and Dungeness crab (which in my opinion is quite possibly superior even to lobster). One of the classic mistakes made with most recipes for this dish is that of making the soup base too complex, adding a myriad of herbs and spices until the sweet, delicate flavors of the shellfish is completely masked and all you are left with is a glorified tomato sauce with pieces of overcooked seafood in it. This recipe is one that has been in my own family for as long as I can remember and is, as simple to prepare, as it is delicious.
| Amount | Measure | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 46oz cans | tomato juice (not sauce) |
| 4 | oz | margarine |
| 2 | tbsp | dried sweet basil |
| 4 | tbsp | chopped garlic |
| 5 | Large | Dungeness crabs cleaned and split in two |
| 2 | lbs | about 21-30 count shrimp |
| 1 | tablespoon | stone ground brown mustard |
| 1 | lb | sea scallops (about 51-60 count) |
| 2 | lbs | medium hard shell clams |
| 1 | lb | calamari steaks sliced into ½” strips |
| 1 | teaspoon | black pepper |
| 1/2 | lb | ling cod fillet sliced into 2″ chunks |
To prepare:
Heat a large stockpot over medium high heat, melt the margarine but do not allow to brown. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic and basil. Sauté the basil and garlic until the garlic turns translucent. Add the tomato juice and bring to a simmer add the crab, then return just to a simmer, next add the clams, again returning to simmer. Add the calamari, shrimp, scallops and fish and return to a simmer. Allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Serve in large bowls with fresh garlic bread and red table wine.
