CIOPPINO, CALABRESE

CIOPPINO, CALABRESE image

Yield 8 generous servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Sauce Base
2 - 3 ea Onions, minced or medium chopped
1 - 2 bulbs Garlic
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 4 oz cans tomato sauce or puree
red wine - (Chianti, Burgundy, Merlot)
Italian seasonings to taste.
olive oil
water
Seafood
7 large Dungeness Crabs (live if possible), Cleaned and cracked just before addition to the sauce.
10 lbs Clams - scrubbed clean. (Discard any that are open)
2 lbs mussels (Optional)
5 lbs Prawns (in shells) - rinsed.
1 lb fresh oysters with liquor (Optional)
2 loaves Garlic Bread

Steps:

Sauce Base 1 Chop or mince onions, and garlic. Saute in olive oil until translucent. 2 Add diced tomatoes and 2 cans water. 3 Add tomato sauce or puree plus 2 additional cans of water. 4 Add red wine (Use 14 oz can for measure). 5 Add Italian seasoning to taste. 6 Adjust amount of sauce depending on quantity and size of seafood. Seafood 1 About 30 minutes before you want to serve, add clams and mussels (if desired). 2 10 minutes later, add the cracked and clean live crabs. 3 5 minutes later, add the prawns and oysters (if desired). 4 When the crab shells turn red and the prawns are pink and the clam shells start to open, then it is ready to serve. 5 Serve with lots of garlic bread made with real crusty sour-dough bread and lots and lots of garlic and butter. Wash everything down with a hearty red wine (Chianti et al) and enjoy.