Best Italian Cioppino Recipes

ITALIAN CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large braising pan over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in melted butter, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onions are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir chicken broth, diced tomatoes, wine, water, basil, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves with the onion and garlic. Place a cover on the braising pan and cook mixture at a simmer until the tomatoes are softened and the broth flavorful, about 30 minutes.
• Fold cod, shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels into the broth mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, return cover to pan, and continue to simmer until the clams open, 5 to 7 minutes.

ITALIAN CIOPPINO

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, saute oil, onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and garlic until tender (but not browned). Add parsley, cilantro, tomatoes, tomato juice, claim juice, white wine, basil, oregano, thyme, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper into the large pot. Let this mixture simmer for 2 hours. 15 to 20 minutes before you are ready to serve the cioppino, add the fish, shrimp, mussels, clams, crab legs, scallops and calamari to the stockpot. Stir the cioppino while it simmers gently for approximately 5 minutes; or until the shrimp are pink and the clams and mussel shells have opened. Remove any unopened mussels or clams before serving.

CIOPPINO (ITALIAN FISH STEW)

Steps:

• The following is a suggestion of the types of seafood you can use in this dish. Feel free to substitute your favorites. Use a variety - a total of about 2 - 2 1/2 lbs. I usually use 1 lb of fish fillets like halibut, pollack or any mild firm fish, skin removed. I whole bag of fresh mussels in their shells - debeareded and cleaned well to remove dirt, 1/2 lb raw shrimp - deveined and peeled, 1/2 lb imitation crab and 1 can chopped clams with their juice. You could use scallops, monk fish, canned or fresh crab- picked clean.
• Saute onion, peppers, celery, carrot and garlic in olive oil until soft in a large kettle, stock pot or Dutch oven (that can go on the stove).
• Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, bay leaf, salt and pepper; heat to boiling; reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 hour on very slow simmer.
• Discard bay leaf (You can use a little more diced tomatoes with their liquid if the sauce is too thick, or add more wine or clam juice. Sauce will be thin. It should NOT be as thick as spaghetti sauce.
• While sauce simmers, cut chunks of filleted fish off of skin into serving size pieces (about 1-2 inch cubes).
• Using a stiff brush, thoroughly scrub the mussels, cutting off their "beards", or the clams, under running water to remove any residue of mud and sand.
• Stir wine or clam juice into sauce in kettle. Add fish chunks, shrimp and scallops. Simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes longer, until shrimp just turns pink. Do Not over cook.
• Place mussels or clams in a layer on top of fish in kettle; cover. Steam 5-10 minutes, or until the shells are fully opened and fish flakes easily. (Discard any unopened mussels or clams). If using canned clams, just open can and dump.
• Ladle into soup plates or bowls. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with sourdough bread, or crusty French or Italian bread.
• Serving suggestion: Ladle into large bowls with about 3/4 cups cooked spaghetti in bottom. (This is how I serve it.)

ITALIAN CIOPPINO

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, mix sauce mix, tomato puree and tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes. Stir in onions, bell pepper, basil and pepper sauce. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until bell pepper is tender. Stir in wine. Simmer 5 minutes longer.
• Discard any broken-shell or open (dead) clams. In large pot or kettle, arrange clams and prawns. Pour tomato mixture over shellfish. Cover; simmer about 30 minutes or until prawns are pink and firm. Discard any unopened clams.