Nor Cal Cioppino Recipes

SAN FRANCISCO CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet or ductch oven over medium heat.
• Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt. Saute until the onion becomes translucent about 5-7 minutes.
• Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and continue to saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste, plum tomatoes and all juices, wine, chicken stock, and bay leaf.
• Bring the sauce to a light boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and allow to cook for one hour, stirring occasionally
• While the sauce is simmering using another saute pan, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and sear the shrimp, scallops (and fish pieces if used) on both sides, making sure not to fully cook them (about half way is fine)
• Remove the seafood from the pan and place it on a plate until needed. If you did use the fish pieces you can add them to the sauce now. *do not add the shrimp or scallops at this time
• In the same pan add a little more oil, the clams and mussels. Cover and steam them until they open. *If any of the mussels or clams are open before cooking discard them, they're dead and aren't safe for consumption.
• At about the 45-minute mark of simmering the sauce, add in the crabs, mussels and clams with all the pan juices. Continue to simmer.
• If you are serving your Choppino over pasta you may begin getting the water ready at this time.
• With five minutes of cooking time remaining, add in the shrimp and scallops.
• Taste the sauce and re-season as needed.
• If you cooked pasta serve over pasta. If not, enjoy this delicious stew with a loaf of crusty bread.

CHEF JOHN'S CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Combine butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
• Stir in onion and celery with a pinch of salt; cook until onion is soft and golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir wine into onion mixture; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
• Stir in tomato puree, water, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer 35 minutes.
• Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in lemon and cod, return to simmer, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in crab, shrimp, and mussels. Cover and simmer until all mussels are cooked and open, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in fresh parsley and basil; season with salt and pepper to taste.

NOR CAL CIOPPINO

Steps:

• In a large stock pot over medium heat, add oil and saute onions, fennel, pepper and garlic until lightly browned. Add tomato paste and continue to cook until it browns. Add wine, tomato sauce, clam and lemon juices, water, bay leaves, red chili flakes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and liqueur to the sauteed vegetables and simmer for 1 hour. Add crab to the sauce and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add clams and let simmer for 5 minutes, then add in cod and cook 4 to 5 minutes. DO NOT STIR. To finish add, shrimp.
• Let cook 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp turn pink. Stir in parsley and serve immediately with fresh bread.

NOR CAL CIOPPINO 2

Steps:

• Begin by poaching the whole crabs: To prepare the crabs, set a large pot of cold water with the garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, kosher salt and chili flakes over high heat. Bring to a boil, and then drop in the crabs. Once the water starts to boil again, reduce the heat and simmer for 12 to15 minutes. When the crabs are done, shock them in cold water so they stop cooking. Then break each one into 4 pieces, with the pieces cracked to let the sauce in.
• For the cioppino: In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the oil and cook the onions, fennel and bell peppers until lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook until it browns, stirring often. Add the tomato sauce, 4 cups water, wine, clam juice, lemon juice, sambuca, half the parsley, the chili flakes, salt, basil, oregano, pepper and bay leaves, and simmer for 1 hour.
• Add the pieces of cooked crab to the sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the clams and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fish and shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn pink, 4 to 5 minutes. DO NOT STIR. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the remaining chopped parsley and serve immediately with bread.