Northwest Cioppino Recipes

PACIFIC NW CIOPPINO WITH ROCKFISH, SALMON, MUSSELS AND DUNGENESS CRAB CAKE

Steps:

• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add the clarified butter; once hot, add the salmon and rockfish and cook 1 minute 30 seconds per side, reducing heat if necessary to avoid burning. Working quickly, add the white wine and mussels and cover the pan. Check mussels after 1 minute to see if they have opened, then cover and continue to cook for another minute if not. Uncover and add Cioppino. Cook until sauce is warm through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, topped with Crab Cake and garnished with parsley.
• Heat an 8- to 10-quart stockpot over medium heat; add the oil. Add the carrot, celery and onion and stir to coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked through but not falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic puree, oregano, chile flakes, fennel seed, marjoram and thyme, and stir to coat; cook for 2 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high, then add clam broth, diced tomato, tomato sauce, tomato paste, red wine, basil, sugar, red wine vinegar, anchovy paste, lemon juice and bay leaves. Stir well to combine. Turn the heat down to low when it starts to bubble. Simmer, stirring occasionally so the bottom of the stockpot does not scorch, for 2 hours. Can be served immediately, or cooled completely and refrigerated to use within 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium heat; add the butter and onions. Sweat the onions until translucent in color and soft but not falling apart, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Meanwhile, combine the red pepper, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning, hot sauce, eggs and the cooled onions in a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Gently, working with your hands, mix in Dungeness crab and then 1/2 cup panko. Don't overwork the mixture; you want it to still have larger pieces of crab intact. Refrigerate 10 to 20 minutes.
• Portion the mixture into 3-ounce balls and roll them in a bowl containing the remaining 1 cup panko. Shape the cakes using either a 2-inch ring mold or by hand by sprinkling about 1 tablespoon panko onto a clean work surface and gently pressing the ball into a cake shape. Sprinkle a small amount of panko on top of the crab cake and gently press it into the cake. Press in the sides of the cake to repair any cracks or tears so it does not fall apart during the cooking process. (You can make the cakes up to 24 hours ahead of when you plan on cooking and serving. They hold well refrigerated in an airtight container with parchment paper in between them if you are going to stack them.)
• Deep fry crab cakes in canola oil at 350 degrees F until crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes, or pan-fry in about 1/2 inch oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. You can also cook on a griddle or in a saute pan on medium to medium-high heat in about a teaspoon of cooking oil or butter each until a golden brown crust develops, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large (12-inch) heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the fennel and onion and saute for 10 minutes, until tender. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, stock, wine, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. The stock will be highly seasoned.
• Add the seafood in the following order: first the cod, then the shrimp, scallops, and finally the mussels. Do not stir! Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until all the seafood is cooked and the mussels are open. Stir in the Pernod, being careful not to break up the fish; cover and set aside for 3 minutes for the flavors to blend. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Ladle into large shallow bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot with Garlic Toasts.
• Warm the oil in a medium pot set over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Add 1 1/2 quarts water, the wine, tomato paste, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for one hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing on the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. If not, add enough water or white wine to make 1 quart.
• Cool completely, transfer to containers, and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Slice the baguette diagonally in 1/4-inch-thick slices. Depending on the size of the baguette, you should get 20 to 25 slices.
• Lay the slices in one layer on a sheet pan, brush each with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned and crisp. As soon as they're cool enough to handle, rub the top of the toasts with a cut side of the garlic. Serve at room temperature.

CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
• Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

NORTHWEST CIOPPINO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook until the onion is just translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the clam juice and lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the marinara sauce, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, avocado, anchovy paste, and fennel and stir. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Carefully place the cod, scallops, prawns, clams, and mussels in the pot. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the prawns turn pink and the clams and mussels open. Remove the pan from the heat, discarding any unopened clams and mussels.
• Ladle the cioppino into large bowls, garnishing each with black pepper, if desired. Serve hot.