Description
San Francisco’s legendary Cioppino brings Mediterranean seafood magic to your kitchen, blending Italian and Portuguese fishing traditions with a rich, tomato-based broth packed with fresh ocean treasures. Sailors’ comfort meets gourmet delight, inviting you to savor each spoonful of this hearty, soul-warming stew.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood:
- 1 lb black mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 8 scallops
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 12 oz salmon (skin-on)
- 12 oz halibut (skin removed after cooking)
Aromatics and Base Ingredients:
- 4 oz pancetta
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, shaved
- 28 oz roasted tomatoes (canned or fresh)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons butter
Herbs, Spices, and Finishing Touches:
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 1 tablespoon tarragon
- Chives, to taste
For Seafood Stock:
- Shrimp shells (reserved from the shrimp)
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 cups water
For Garlic Oregano Bread:
- 8 slices ciabatta bread
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oreg
Instructions
- Craft a robust seafood stock by sautéing shrimp shells with peppercorns in olive oil, deglazing with white wine, then adding aromatic vegetables and simmering for 30-45 minutes. Strain and reserve the liquid for the stew’s foundation.
- Render pancetta in a Dutch oven until crisp, then incorporate onions and shallots, developing a rich flavor base. Intensify the mixture with tomato paste, Calabrian chili paste, saffron, fennel, and garlic, creating a complex aromatic profile.
- Deglaze the vegetable mixture with white wine, then introduce roasted tomatoes and prepared seafood stock. Allow the sauce to simmer gently, melding the flavors for approximately 30 minutes.
- Prepare the garlic oregano bread by brushing ciabatta with butter and seasoning with garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Toast in a preheated oven until achieving a golden, crisp texture.
- Carefully sear each type of seafood – salmon, scallops, shrimp, and halibut – ensuring a perfect golden exterior while maintaining a tender interior.
- Finish the sauce by incorporating tarragon and butter, then gently steam the mussels until they dramatically pop open. Discard any unopened shellfish.
- Assemble the dish by ladling the rich tomato sauce into serving bowls, artfully arranging the various seafood pieces on top. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and delicate chives, serving alongside the crisp garlic oregano bread.
Notes
- Choose fresh, high-quality seafood for the most vibrant and authentic flavor profile in your Cioppino.
- Customize the seafood selection based on seasonal availability and personal preferences, mixing different types of fish and shellfish.
- Toast the saffron threads briefly before adding to enhance its rich, aromatic essence and deepen the overall complexity of the stew.
- If avoiding alcohol, replace white wine with seafood stock or clam juice to maintain the depth of flavor without compromising the recipe’s integrity.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg