Food: Feast of Seven Fishes #6 – Cioppino
This is an easy seafood stew that only requires you to throw a bunch of stuff into a pot – a great time saver when you have to run around rolling bacon around scallops and frying calamari. This stuff is so good I forgot to take a picture.
Cioppino
Few tbsps olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
1 cup white wine
14 oz chicken or fish stock
32 oz crushed tomatoes
½ cup tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh thyme
½ cup parsley, chopped
½ bulb fennel bulb, sliced (or 2 ribs celery, chopped)
1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound halibut or cod (or both) cut into 2-inch chunks
Heat oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, and salt and saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic, parsley, thyme and red pepper flakes, and saute a few more minutes. Add wine, simmer for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, stock and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the clams to the soup. Cover and cook until the clams open, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remember to throw out the bay leaf and any clams that do not open. Serve with crusty bread. Voila!
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread 