Cioppino (American Italian Style Seafood Stew)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
2
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Calories
417 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Cioppino (American Italian Style Seafood Stew)
Description
Cioppino (American Italian Style Seafood Stew) combines an assortment of seafood including white fish, littleneck clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and crab meat in a savory broth. The base is made by sautéing garlic, onion, and red pepper in extra virgin olive oil, seasoning with salt and then seasoning with chopped celery leaves or parsley. White wine and fish or vegetable stock form the liquid component, while tomato puree adds body and acidity.
The seafood varieties are prepared carefully with clams and mussels scrubbed and soaked, scallops brined and dried, and shrimp peeled and deveined with tails left on for presentation. These are added sequentially to the simmering broth to ensure even cooking. The result is a stew with tender fish and shellfish that complement the rich, slightly spiced, tomato-and-herb broth. The red pepper flakes can add optional heat, enhancing complexity.
This stew is served hot and can be paired with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful broth. It is suited as a main course for those who enjoy diverse seafood with a light but robust tomato base. The recipe invites customization of seafood types according to preference or availability while maintaining the core aromatic and cooking techniques.
No specific instructions about storage or reheating are included, but typical practice suggests serving immediately to enjoy freshness of seafood.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup red pepper diced
- 1 bunch celery leaves chopped (or ¼ cup chopped celery and parsley)
- ½ cup white wine
- ¾ cup fish stock or veg stock, or water
- ½ cup tomato puree or chopped tomatoes
- ¼ tsp salt to taste, sea salt
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes optional, crushed
- 6 oz white fish like haddock
- 6 littleneck clams
- 6 mussels
- 6 Shrimp medium to large
- 2 scallops or more, depending on size
- 2 oz crabmeat or more (fresh, lump
- 2 tsp Italian parsley chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Seafood:
- Clams and mussels: scrub the shells, de-beard the mussels by pulling the "beards" towards the back of the shell, and place them in a bowl of water (you can add salt if you like, or not) for 20 minutes.
- Scallops: brine the scallops for about 10 minutes (1.5 Tbsp Kosher salt in 8 oz of water). Afterwards, place them on a rack to dry.
- Shrimp: although some cioppini are made with the whole shrimp, I prefer to remove the shells (devein them if they haven't been cleaned) and just leave on the tail.
- Fish: slice into medium sized pieces.
- Crab: put the amount of lump crab meat you'll be using in a bowl and set aside.
Prepare the Cioppino Base:
- Have all of your ingredients chopped and ready to use. Put the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. I used this Staub braiser. When hot, add the garlic, onion and red pepper; add salt.
- Sauté for about 3 minutes, then add the chopped celery leaf.
- If you cannot source celery leaves, add a little chopped celery and Italian parsley, instead.
- Increase the heat to medium high and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. Next, add the white wine.
- When the mixture is simmering, add the tomato puree or chopped tomatoes. Be sure to use good quality tomatoes; this is so important! You don't want to ruin all your beautiful, fresh seafood with acidic, and bitter tasting tomatoes.
- Lastly, add the stock, or water. The amount of salt you add will vary depending on if you used stock (which already has salt) or water. If using water, add at least a teaspoon of Kosher or sea salt. Simmer for 15 minutes or so.
Cook the Seafood:
- Start by adding the clams as they take the longest to cook. After adding the clams, put the lid onto the pot and set a timer for 5 minutes.
- When the timer is up, add the mussels and pieces of fish, sprinkle the pieces of fish with a little salt and put the lid on again. Set the timer for another 3 minutes.
- When the timer sounds, add the shrimp and scallops and cook with the lid on for a few more minutes, until all the seafood is cooked and shellfish are open. Taste for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper.
- You can top the cioppino with the crab meat at this point, and put the lid on to warm it. Finish the dish with chopped parsley.
Notes
- Customize the seafood selection according to your preferences and availability.
- Properly clean and prepare shellfish to ensure food safety and taste.
- Serve with crusty bread to enjoy the broth fully.
- Use fresh fish stock or vegetable stock for best flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 417 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 dish | |
| Calories | 417kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 38g | 76% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 115mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 1059mg | 44% |
| Potassium | 1063mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 1036IU | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 41mg | 46% |
| Calcium | 121mg | 12% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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