Cioppino: An Everyday Delight

posted July 30, 2006
  by Amy Powell, Real Meals In Minutes

There are at least four or five dear friends of mine who would stake claim to cioppino as his or her favorite food. And it is not just my friends, for I have more than once overheard a woman talk about her boyfriend with statements such as, “Cioppino is most definitely Ben’s favorite food. Every time it is on a restaurant menu he has to order it.” Few dishes that I can think of have the power to evoke such strong statements from so many.

That being said, I bet I know a thing or two about cioppino that would surprise even the most die-hard enthusiast. First, cioppino, although of Italian roots, was a dish born in none other than trend-setting California. Secondly, although impressive in appearance, cioppino couldn’t be simpler to make yourself.

What is this dish of confounding origins that has cast its spell on our friends and lovers? Cioppino is in appearance a bit like the French bouillabaisse in that it was born a sort of fisherman’s stew made of the discarded bits of fish and shellfish at a local port. The name cioppino is most likely derived from the Italian word ciuppin which was a similar fish stew served in Genoa. When the Italians took root in the North Beach area of San Francisco, a distinctly California version of the stew, made of the day’s catch, began appearing on the neighborhood’s restaurant menus.

Unlike a bouillabaisse which requires specific and mostly expensive ingredients such as saffron and lobster--and more time than you most likely have for cooking dinner--the ingredients in cioppino are relatively simple, easy to prepare, and ultimately up for interpretation. Every recipe I have found for cioppino starts with a base of onion, garlic, bell pepper and occasionally celery. Herbs are added, wine (white or red) is stirred in and reduced. The base is finished with tomatoes and their juices, clam juice and chicken stock.

What comes last, the fish, is the part up for interpretation. Although a purist might argue that a true San Franciscan cioppino should contain Dungeness crab, bay scallops, clams, mussels and some fresh local mild tasting white fish. The truth, however, is that nothing will make a better stew than the fish that is freshest at your market on the day you are cooking.

The idea of a stew in the summer heat may seem daunting, but as Mark Twain never said, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” So for San Franciscans at least, no dish could have a more appropriate time of year that right now. And since it is Dungeness crab season, there could be no better time to put this sea creature to good use. Not to mention, when it is all said and done and thrown into the pot, you’ll have plenty of time to relax and cool off with a nice chilled glass of pinot grigio waiting for the clams to open up.

So next time if you want your boyfriends’ cries of delight to be over you and not your neighborhood restaurants’ cioppino, the recipe is simple. First step, prep the stew just before he arrives. Second, impress him with your trivia on the roots of his favorite dish while you share a glass of wine. Third, serve up a heaping bowl of your (much better) version of his restaurant favorite. Before you know it, his ooohs and ahhhs will all be directed where they should always be: you.

Cioppino In a Hurry Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 4
Ready in: < 30 minutes

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 yellow onion
* 2 stalks celery
* 1/2 green bell pepper
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 teaspoon Oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 glasses white wine
* 1 cup clam juice
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 2 cups canned whole peeled or chopped tomatoes with their juices
* 1/2 pound crab (Dungeness, King, Stone, or what ever is fresh)
* 1 pound mild white fish such as red snapper, tilapia
* 1/2 pound clams
* 1/2 pound mussels
* salt and pepper
* 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
* Sourdough bread

Melt butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.

Meanwhile, chop onion into a small dice, slice celery into 1/4 inch slices, cut pepper into small dice, and crush garlic. Add onion, celery, pepper and garlic to the melted butter and oil. Saute about five minutes to soften. Stir in oregano, red pepper, bay leaf and wine.

Raise heat to high and reduce wine by half. Add clam juice, chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Let simmer five minutes.

Meanwhile, cut fish cross wise into two inch pieces. Rinse clams and mussels, scrubbing lightly to remove sand. To simmering liquid, layer in fish, crab, clams, and mussels. Cover with lid and let steam until clams have opened.

Discard any clams and mussels that do not open. Taste stew liquid for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped flat leaf parsley. Dish up and serve alongside sourdough bread.

Note: You can do almost any combination of shellfish and white fish that is fresh and local to your area in this dish.

©2008 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction of this article may be made without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.

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