Cioppino

[jaybee]

OK, by popular demand, here is the cioppino thread. I make no pretense to authenticity, as I long ago deviated from the "classic" dish. I've tried lots of different fish and seafood: monkfish is great, scallops and shrimp are too. Clams are a must. Don't use oily fish (Bluefish for example). Flakey fish will add flavor and texture but will not hold together in the stew. When I want to go upscale I add lobster meat.

Variations can be made with different stocks added to the basic tomato sauce. Shrimp or lobster stock made from the shells. When in a hurry I sometimes add two bottles of good bottled clam juice. The stuff that's not too salty. If I have frozen fish stock on hand, I put a block of it into the sauce as it cooks.

Season the shrimp and scallops with cayenne pepper, then sautee in olive oil, garlic and flambee them with cognac. Lightly dredge the monkfish in flour and sautee in a separate pan. Add the sauteed seafood and fish into the stew in the last five or ten minutes. Lately I'v been steaming small Yukon gold or red bliss potatoes, quartering them and putting them in the stew with about ten or fifteen minutes to go.

Sprinkle chopped flat leafed parsley on top just before serving.

The basic sauce is made tomatos, onion, garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, but I really can't recall the master recipe. I have to look it up in the country this weekend.

Serve with big slices of toasted olive oil and garlic-rubbed sourdough bread on the side and a strong red wine (a good Chianti Classico works well, or a good Zin).

More ideas please...

Edited January 17, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[jaybee]

Oh, I forgot. Last time I made this, I added slices of imported Spanish chorizo. Yummy.

[ranitidine]

Sounds fabulous, jaybee. Do you ever make it with pasta? That's how they serve it at London Lennie's on Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park.

[jaybee]

Do you ever make it with pasta?

I've skipped the potatos and served a thicker version on broad noodles, a la boeuf bourgingon. But I don't like it as much as the potato version. The starch in the potato seems to really blend wel with the sauce.

Edited January 17, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[Varmint]

Goodness, I make it several times a year, and I really can't say how I do it. I look at what's fresh at the fishmongers and go from there. Everyone who's already posted has identified the basic ingredients; it's just a matter of assembling in proper order and getting it to taste "just right."

[CathyL]

I often make a simple, spare version from John Thorne's Pot on the Fire, which has a wonderful chapter on the dish. Sauté chopped onion, minced garlic and chopped red bell pepper in EVOO. Add a little hot red pepper and oregano. Pour in a scant cup of Zinfandel or the like and reduce by one-third. Add 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled/cored/chopped, or a 28-ounce can of the same. Salt, pepper, and simmer for a bit. Add a pound of cod or other firm white fish, simmer until it almost falls apart, and eat with good crusty bread.

[Bond Girl]

My latest version is:

chopped onion, garlic and bell peppers sautee in EVOO.

Throw in some (usually a large amount) of red pepper flakes.

Pinch of oregano, thyme, rosemary, crushed fennel seeds and a bay leaf.

add a coarsely chopped carrot, and a large jar of roasted tomatoes.

Pour in a generous amount of clam juice and water.

Throw in some cubed patotoes

Let the whole thing simmer the soup is like a thick stew and the potatoes are soft and still hold up.

Strain half the vegetables out and leave the other half in. This step depends on how thick you like your soup and I usually throw the potatoes back in only because I like them.

Pour in a splash of white wine and turn the heat up high for a minute.

Add whatever seafood you like. I usually like a white firm flesh fish, some shrimps, a couple of clams, a bit of squid and a few scallops.

Top it off with fresh chopped parsley.

In the past, I made it with a combination of tomato paste and freshly chopped tomatoes. Use red wine instead of white.

Sometimes, I'll omit the carrot and the potatoes and put in some pasta instead.

Edited January 17, 2003 by Bond Girl (log)

[Adam Balic]

Have been experimenting with fish soups/stews from around the Med. Only issue I have is in the fish varieties as making stew from one or two types of fish tends to make the stew taste too simple for my tastes. To all the various types I have been trying I used dover sole bones as a soup stock base, add cod, john dory or monk fish and gilthead bream. I have found that adding a small quartered crab improves the flavour, but I don't serve the crab itself. Like jaybee I like potatos in the stew as a thickener or I serve steamed small potatos along side for people to add themselves.

[Jason Perlow]

Almost every version made in San Francisco includes dungeness crab... I like the one at Aliotos

[Adam Balic]

Dungeness type crabs (big brown pie crust type crab yeh?) are about 20-25 cm across the shell here, so I use the smaller velvert crabs which are simliar to green or shore crabs.

[Blue Heron]

Thanks jaybee for starting this thread. I love cioppino! My mom used to make it for us.

This is my modified version of "Gettin' It On Cioppino", original source unknown, but it's west coast.

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

handful of mushrooms, sliced

1 28 oz can tomatoes, cut up

6 oz can tomato paste

1-2 C. red or white wine

1/4 - 1/2 C. olive oil

2 T marjoram*

1 T rosemary*

1 T sage*

1 T thyme*

1 T basil*

1/2 C. fresh parsley, choppped

salt

pepper

2-4 small chopped red chile peppers (dried), or crushed dried red pepper flakes

1 large bunch swiss chard, chopped coursely

25-40 clams

2-3 cooked dungeness crabs, cracked & cut up

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. prawns

2 lbs. firm white fish (ie. halibut)

* if spices are fresh, double the amount

Sautee onion, garlic and mushrooms in a little olive oil. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, half the wine, herbs and seasonings, swiss chard, remaining oil and simmer.

Add fish, and simmer gently until fish is opaque, but still moist looking in the thickest part (cut to test) maybe 15-20 minutes. Add the crab, prawns, and clams along with the rest of the wine in towards the end of the total cooking time, as they only take a few minutes.

I think I will make some today.

[jaybee]

Almost every version made in San Francisco includes dungeness crab.

You know, you're right Jason. Funny I don;t think to buy crab when I am making it. I should. Next time.

Some good ideas here for variations on the theme. Hey, I wonder how this stuff would taste cold, in the summer, with a dollop of sour cream on it? Sort of gazpacho gone insane!

[Bond Girl]

Actually, I had a version of Gazpacho from Calle Ocho that's pretty much like a cioppino but has lots of jalepeno and lumps of crab meat. I do think if you make it in the summer, you should add lime juice instead.

[nightscotsman]

Hold the hot red chilis/pepper flakes/cayenne on mine, thanks. But do include lots of sliced fennel and a dash of Pernod. Muscles are nice, too.

[jaybee]

I do think if you make it in the summer, you should add lime juice instead. 

sssssmokin, Bond Girl!

[La Niña]

Pot of cioppino cooking as we speak, inspired by this thread! Will report...

[CathyL]

I'm planning to do the same. With a fougasse alongside, if the baking gods cooperate.

[Blue Heron]

We are all thinking alike. I made a big pot of Cioppino yesterday, inspired from this thread. I hadn't made it in awhile, so it was really a treat. I used the "Gettin It On Cioppino" recipe I listed already. I loaded it up with so much seafood, though, that I increased my recipe to include 2 large cans of tomoatoes, and I also used 2 cups of zinfandel in it. It turned out wonderful and pretty zesty... very hearty. The broth turned out a lot darker than previous times, perhaps because I used red wine instead of white which I normally use. I added some red & green chopped swiss chard leaves from our garden, but added it too early and it lost some of it's bright color, unfortunately. Next time I will add it a little closer to the end of cooking time. I shared some with my neighbors and still have left overs for dinner tonight. Looking forward to hearing about everyone elses Cioppino results!

"Gettin' It On Cioppino"

Edited January 20, 2003 by Blue Heron (log)

[jaybee]

That's a plate of beauty, Blue Heron! Details? Muir Glenn tomatos are supposed to be the best canned product. Any opinions pro or con?

Edited January 20, 2003 by jaybee (log)

[CathyL]

Blue Heron, how gorgeous.

Muir Glen is my preferred canned brand. (For cioppino I buy the diced.) I think they taste fresher, and more tomato-y, than Pomi or canned San Marzanos.

[jaybee]

Google "cioppino" to find pages of recipes. There seem to be some interesting variations too.

I made a large pot of cioppino for Christmas day, and we had three days of meals from it. My next pot will definitley include crab.

[nightscotsman]

Wow, Blue Heron - I thought I was full of Dim Sum after our brunch, but your photo made me hungry again. Just beautiful!

[jaybee]

This is the recipe that made a cioppino addict out of me. Brought to Tadich's in 1976 by a Bay area friend, I fell in love with the place. Last time I was there was in 1998. Too long ago...

Tadich Grill Cioppino

List of Ingredients

1/2 Cup Olive Oil, divided

1 Small Onion, chopped

1 Medium Carrot, finely chopped

1/2 Medium Green Bell Pepper, chopped

1 Small Leek, White part only,Chopped

1 Small Rib Celery, chopped

1 Tablespoon Fresh Fennel, chopped

28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes withPuree

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

2 Cup Water

1 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Pepper

1 Teaspoon Fresh Basil, minced

1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Oregano, minced

1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme, minced

4 Bay Leaves

1 Dash Cayenne Pepper

1 Teaspoon Garlic, finely chopped

1 Pound White Fish, cut into 1/2x2" strips

8 Large Shrimp, shelled and deveined

8 Large Scallops

3/4 Cup Sauvignon Blanc Wine

8 Small Clams in Shell, scrubbed

4 Ounce Cooked Shrimp Meat

6 Ounce Cooked Crab Meat

Italian Parsley, chopped

Recipe

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in Dutch oven or large heavy pan over medium heat.

Add onions and saute 1 minute without browning. Add carrot, green pepper, leek, celery and fennel and saute 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves and cayenne pepper. Partially cover and simmer over low heat 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Sauce can be covered and kept warm over low heat for several hours longer. Stir occasionally.) Remove bay leaves.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook 5 seconds. Immediately add fish, shrimp and scallops. Saute until just cooked through, 2-4 minutes. Add seafood to sauce and stir gently.

Pour wine into skillet and cook 30 seconds over medium heat, stirring up any loose bits. Add clams to skillet. Cover and cook until clams open, 2-6 minutes. Transfer clams as they open to sauce. Discard any that do not open.

Gently stir shrimp and crab meat into sauce. Cover and cook cioppino until all seafood is hot, 2-3 minutes longer.

Ladle cioppino into large casserole or soup tureen or directly into shallow soup plates. Garnish with chopped Italian Parsley.

Source: Tadich Grill, San Francisco

[Blue Heron]

Blue Heron, how gorgeous.

Muir Glen is my preferred canned brand.  (For cioppino I buy the diced.)  I think they taste fresher, and more tomato-y, than Pomi or canned San Marzanos.

Thank you CathyL, jaybee and nsm. I also used diced canned tomatoes this time. I like Muir Glenn, too, but since I didn't have any, I just used regular store bought diced tomatoes this time. Next time I will stock up on Muir Glen for my pantry.

I had leftovers tonight and the flavor was just as good and maybe even better than yesterday. As good as the crab is, if I was on the east coast, I'd love to make mine with lobster...major yum!

[jaybee]

I had leftovers tonight and the flavor was just as good and maybe even better than yesterday.

I often find that to be the case with a complex recipe (stews, soups). The flavors seem to blend and fuse after a day or so. True for cioppino. Good to make a batch of sauce and freeze it. Then you just have to add fresh fish.