Classic San Francisco Cioppino Recipe
What if I told you that my Homemade Cioppino (Seafood Stew) is 100x better than what you'll get at a restaurant? It's got serious depth of flavor, a rich tomato-white wine broth made with homemade shrimp stock (it's easy and you're already buying shrimp!), and perfectly cooked fresh fish and shellfish. Don't you dare forget that crusty San Francisco sourdough for sopping up every bit of broth! This is the ultimate Cioppino recipe.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 580kcal
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
- 8 oz clam juice
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ sweet onion, diced, about 1 cup
- 1 fennel, diced, about 1 cup, reserve fennel fronds for garnish
- 1 large shallot, diced, about 2 Tbsp
- Kosher salt
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 (28oz) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2-3 sprigs tarragon or oregano
- 1 lb halibut, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 lb mussels, cleaned
- 1 lb clams, cleaned
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for serving
- Sourdough, for serving (I like to toast it!)
Instructions
- Make the shrimp stock. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shrimp shells and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes. When they turn red, add 8oz of clam juice and 2 cups of water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, then strain and reserve the stock. (You can add carrots, celery, garlic, herbs to this while simmering, if wanted!)
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large Dutch oven or deep pot, heat remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Add 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup diced fennel, and 2 Tbsp diced shallot. Season with ½ tsp Kosher salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes. Add 4 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tsp fennel seeds, and ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, then stir and cook for 1 minute more. Add 2 Tbsp tomato paste, then use a spatula to break it up until dissolved.
- Deglaze with wine. Pour in 1 cup of white wine, then scrape the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Add shrimp stock (or 3 cups of seafood stock), then pour in 1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes. Add 2 bay leaves, 2-3 sprigs of tarragon (or oregano), stir well, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add seafood. Pat the halibut and shrimp dry with paper towels, then season with a little Kosher salt. Add the seasoned halibut, shrimp, mussels, and clams, then cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until the shells open up. Discard any mussels and clams that remain closed. Remove and discard bay leaves. Taste the broth, adjust seasoning as needed, then transfer to serving bowls.
- Garnish, then serve. Top each with a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil, some chopped parsley, and reserved fennel fronds. Serve immediately with toasted sourdough!
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include sourdough bread.
- You can of course use homemade seafood stock or store-bought stock. This is just a quick way to get lots of flavor out of the shrimp shells without simmering for hours.
- Be sure to purge the mussels and clams before cooking. To clean them: Place clams and mussels in a large bowl of cold water and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Carefully lift out clams, then replace water and repeat once more, or until there is no sand and grit left on the bottom of the bowl. The mussels will need their beard removed. To do this, simply pinch the beard between your thumb and forefinger and then firmly tug to remove.
- Make ahead: Prepare the stew up to the point of adding the seafood. Cool completely, then refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently over medium heat until warmed through, then add the seafood and cook according to the recipe instructions. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days. Reheat in the same way.
- I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 1184mg | Potassium: 1178mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 883IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 4mg
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