Grandma Lees Cioppino Recipes

CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies, bay leaf and red pepper flakes and cook until the anchovies begin to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onions and some salt and pepper. Saute until the onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley and use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
• Season the fish fillets and scallops with salt and pepper. Raise the heat under the skillet to medium. Add the mussels and clams and gently stir to combine. Cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add the fish, shrimp and scallops and gently stir to combine. Cover and cook until the seafood is cooked and the shellfish are open, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and serve immediately.

GRANDFATHER'S CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, parsley and garlic; sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with their juices; simmer 10 minutes. Add red wine, red wine vinegar, canned clams with juices, rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, allspice and cinnamon. Simmer 30 minutes.
• Add water, white wine and cherrystone clams to stew. Simmer until clams open, about 10 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Add crabmeat, sea bass and shrimp and simmer until fish and shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Ladle into large bowls and serve.

GRANDMA LEE'S CIOPPINO

Steps:

• In a large stock pot: melt butter, onions (chopped) and garlic over medium heat. Stir until soft.
• Add V-8 juice, bay leaves and Italian seasoning. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. OPT: you may add some white wine
• Add the shrimp, scallops, clams and crab. Bring to a boil and cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until clams open and seafood is done.
• Scoop up and put into large soup bowls and serve with warm, buttered, (garlic), crusty, sourdough bread. Enjoy this soup, have plenty of napkins and bread. The bread sops up the juices. This is a versatile soup. Leave the shells on the shrimp so you have to work at it to enjoy. You can use as much or as less seafood of your choice and use just enough V-8 to cover the seafood. You also can add chunks of fish (your choice).If you have shrimp eaters you may want to add a little more shrimp, because they will pick out all the shrimp and leave the rest. Those lucky to live by the coast can invite me over!