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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 120 Minutes |
Ready In: 140 Minutes Servings: 10 |
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Like many dishes, there are as many recipes for Cioppino as there are cooks. The three musts are a tomato based sauce, rich with garlic and wine; an assortment of fish and/or shellfish; and a layering cooking method whereby the seafood is layered in the pot, sauce poured over, and the dish is heat just until the fish is cooked. This version comes from The California Cook in the LA Times, Russ Parsons. Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil |
1 3/4 cups onions, chopped (about 1 onion) |
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 pepper) |
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes |
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed |
8 -10 garlic cloves, chopped (about 3 tablespoons) |
3 tablespoons tomato paste |
1 (750 ml) bottle red wine (fruity, not dry) |
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes |
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning |
1 bay leaf |
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled |
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper |
2 lbs sea bass, cut into large chunks (or other firm, meaty fish such as shark, yellowtail, monkfish) |
1 lb cod, diced into large chunks (or other delicate, flaky fish, such as snapper) |
3/4 lb shrimp, shell on |
1 1/4-1 1/2 lbs crabmeat, cooked and cleaned |
1 lb littleneck clams (or a mixture of both) or 1 lb mussels (or a mixture of both) |
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped |
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat; add onion and bell pepper and cook, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add crushed red pepper flakes, fennel, and half the garlic; cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato paste and cook 3 minutes; add in the red wine and simmer until reduced by a third, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, bay leaf, oregano, and pepper; simmer on low until the sauce is darkened to a brick read, about 45 minutes (you'll have about 6 cups).
5. Meanwhile, cut the fish into bite-sized chunks (keeping separate); season both types of fish, as well as the shrimp, with chopped garlic and a little salt, then cover and refrigerate.
6. In a large, tall saucepan, or stockpot, arrange the fish according to how long they will need to cook; first ladle in a thin layer of sauce, arrange crabmeat in a layer.
7. Next, stack the meaty fish, then the flaky fish on top of that; lastly is the shrimp with the clams and/or mussels on top.
8. Pour remaining sauce over the fish and shake pot to distribute the sauce; cover and cook over medium heat until the shells open, about 20 minutes (you should shake the pan a few times during cooking, but do not stir to avoid breaking up the fish too much).
9. Once the shells open, taste for salt, then gently stir in the chopped parsley; ladle into serving bowls.
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