Cioppino is a perfect dish for any seafood lover. It’s light, aromatic, full of all of your favorite seafood and cooked in the a delicious tomato broth. It’s simple, beautiful and delicious. Best news is that it comes together so easily but looks really impressive. You can make the sauce ahead of time and then prepare the dish in only 15 minutes the next day.
What is Cioppino?
Cioppino is a fish stew that originated in San Fransisco by Italian fishermen. The fishermen would all chip in a little bit of whatever they had caught that day and put it in a stew. For this reason, some people like to call it fishermen’s stew. It consists of chopped fresh seafood cooked in a tomato and wine broth, and served with fresh bread. The name comes from “Ciuppin” which is a classic soup from Liguria, but I like to think it’s from the fisherman asking for everyone to “Chip-in-o” to make their lunch.
When I was in Italy, I was determined to go to Venice. It was a little out of the way but it was so worth the trip. Every menu was loaded with fresh seafood. Even their pizzas were topped with mussels and clams in their shells. I had a seafood pasta that I will never forget. Even though this dish originated in San Fransisco, its origins are truly Italian at heart. With all that said, this dish reminds me of Italy and takes me back every time.
Simply Impressive
This dish is so delicious and comes together in a few steps. You make the tomato broth and then cook the seafood in order of their cook time. You can make the broth a day or two ahead and simply reheat and cook your seafood.
White Wine I prefer to use white wine over red wine because it makes the dish so light and bright. Italian white wines do best because it tastes like Italy. I always get Italian Pinot Grigio. It you want the dish a little richer, you may use red wine.
Clam Juice Clam juice gives the broth a nice briny boost flavor and some nice depth. If you can’t find it, try using a store-bought seafood stock to give it the same effect.
Broth Seafood, vegetable or chicken broth all work well for this stew. Whichever you prefer or have on hand should be fine.
Seafood You can use your favorite seafood, but I typically like to include a few different types:
- White fish, like cod or halibut gives the stew a great texture. They flake a little bit so it allows you to get fish in every bite.
- In my opinion, you have to have clams or mussels in this dish. They make this dish so beautiful. Not only does it make the dish gorgeous, but it gives this dish a more hands on enjoyment. I like to cook the clams first and set them aside so that they don’t over cook. Add them back to the dish right before serving. Just make sure you serve bowls on the side to discard the shells.
- Last but not least, you need either lobster, scallops or shrimp. When you get a bite of one of these it’s like winning the jackpot. I used bay scallops because they are smaller. If you use sea scallops, slice them in half to make them bite sized. If you use lobster, cut the pieces into bite sized pieces but leave a few large claws for visual effect. For shrimp, use what you prefer. Shell on would add flavor and more hands on experience but peeled and deveined add convenience.
Bread Grab a baguette or your favorite Italian bread like ciabatta or focaccia. Anything that’s good for dunking into the broth.
Lemon A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens up this dish, so we like to serve this with a few lemon wedges on the table.
Skippers Bay Lobster
Skipper’s Bay Lobster offers fresh, wild-caught lobster meat from the coast of Maine. It is literally the best lobster I’ve ever eaten. They cook it so perfectly and you can taste how fresh it is. They catch it, cook it and then overnight the meat (or live lobster) to our house so we can enjoy it the next day. How amazing is that?! We had so much fun showing the boys live lobsters in our homes that was delivered to our doorstep.
My friends at Skipper’s Bay Lobster in Maine make “Lobster Nectar” which I have used for the broth in this dish, and many other dishes. It’s essentially the juices they collect while picking through the meat of their cooked lobsters. It’s a beautiful creamy peach color and it takes the flavor of any seafood dish to the next level.
Tips and Tricks
Make the Sauce Ahead You can make this broth a day or two ahead of time. Let the broth cool and then store it in an air tight container. When you are ready to cook the Cioppino, bring the broth to a simmer and continue on to the recipe.
Left Overs If you have leftovers, This makes an insanely delicious pasta sauce. Remove the shells from the clams, mussels and shrimp and then store the sauce in an airtight container. You should eat or freeze the sauce within two days.
Pairing Serve this dish with crisp white wines like Italian Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or Verdejo. Any type of bubbles like Prosecco would be great as well. If you are a beer drinker, grab a Peroni or your favorite crisp and refreshing lager.
Recipe
Cioppino
This cioppino is light, aromatic and full of all of your favorite seafood. It’s beautiful, delicious and comes together so easily.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Onion, small diced
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried Basil or Parsley
- 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup Italian White Wine, like Pinot Grigio
- 15 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 8 oz. bottle Clam Juice
- 1 cup broth, Seafood or Chicken Broth
- Black Pepper, to taste
- 10 Clams
- 8 oz. White Fish, like Cod or Halibut, cut into bite sized pieces
- 6-8 Bay Scallops or 1/2 lb. Peeled and Deveined Shrimp
- 1/2 lb. Cooked Lobster or Crab, cut into bite sized pieces
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Baguette
- Lemon Wedges, optional
Directions
- Step 1 In a large pot or braising pan on medium heat, add olive oil and sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes until soft. Add dried basil, dried oregano, chili flakes, salt and bay leaf and sauté for a minute.
- Step 2 Pour in white wine and cook down until reduced by half. Stir in crushed tomatoes, clam juice and broth. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes uncovered. Season to taste.
- Step 3 Carefullly add clams in sauce and cook until they open up. Once opened, place the clams in a separate bowl until other seafood is cooked. Discard the clams that don’t open.
- Step 4 Add your cod, scallops and lobster and simmer until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return clams back to dish and simmer for one more minute.
- Step 5 Top with fresh parsley and serve with fresh baguette and lemon wedges, optional.
About the Author
Lauren is a classically trained, professional chef. A culinary school graduate, she has spent time working organic farms in the Italian countryside and was the pastry/sous chef at a high profile restaurant in Dallas prior to becoming a full-time personal chef. Her cooking style is often referred to as “rustic.” Being a personal chef, she is not bound by a single type of cuisine and has had the opportunity to experiment with hundreds of regional recipes from all over the world.
Love to make this.