Seafood Stew
This seafood stew recipe is the San Francisco classic known as cioppino, a tomato and white wine broth loaded with clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and firm white fish.
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot - at least 7 quarts
- Wooden spoon - for stirring the base
- Fine-mesh strainer - for rinsing shellfish
- Ladle - for serving
- Large serving bowls - wide and shallow preferred
Ingredients
For the broth
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil - 60 ml
- 1 large fennel bulb - cored and thinly sliced, fronds reserved for garnish
- 1 medium yellow onion - finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery - finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine - 240 ml, such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
- 1 can crushed tomatoes - 28 oz / 800 g
- 3 cups seafood stock - 720 ml, or fish stock
- 1 cup clam juice - 240 ml
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the seafood
- 1 lb littleneck clams - 450 g, scrubbed
- 1 lb mussels - 450 g, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 lb firm white fish - 450 g, such as cod or halibut, cut into 1.5-inch (4 cm) pieces
- 3/4 lb large shrimp - 340 g, peeled and deveined
- 3/4 lb sea scallops - 340 g, side muscle removed
To serve
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley - 15 g, chopped
- 1 lemon - cut into wedges
- crusty sourdough bread - for serving
Instructions
- Scrub the clams and mussels under cold running water to remove any grit from the shells.
- Pull the beards off the mussels by tugging them toward the hinge, then discard any beards.
- Tap any open clams or mussels against the counter. If they do not close within a minute, throw them out.
- Soak the clams in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes so they spit out any sand, then rinse and set aside.
- Pat the fish, shrimp, and scallops dry, and keep everything cold in the fridge until you are ready to add it.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Add the sliced fennel, onion, and celery, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and translucent.
- Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown, since it turns bitter.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it deepens in color. This step is what gives the broth its rich, roasted backbone.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Let the wine simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until it reduces by about half.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, clam juice, bay leaf, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Bring the broth to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes so the flavors blend and the broth thickens slightly.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The broth should taste bold on its own, since the seafood will mellow it.
- Increase the heat to bring the broth to a steady simmer.
- Add the clams first, cover the pot, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the mussels, cover again, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the shells start to open.
- Discard any clams or mussels that stay tightly shut after cooking.
- Nestle the fish pieces into the broth, spacing them out so they cook evenly.
- Add the shrimp and scallops around the fish.
- Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes, until the fish flakes, the shrimp turn pink, and the scallops are opaque.
- Do not stir hard, or the fish will fall apart. Gently shake the pot instead to settle everything into the broth.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Taste the broth one last time and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Ladle the stew into wide bowls, giving each one a mix of every kind of seafood.
- Scatter chopped parsley and reserved fennel fronds over the top, and add a lemon wedge to each bowl.
- Serve right away with plenty of crusty sourdough on the side.
Notes
- Buy the freshest seafood you can. It should smell clean and briny like the ocean, never fishy.
- Add the seafood in stages. Clams and mussels need the most time, fish and shrimp the least.
- Do not overcook the shellfish. Pull the pot the moment the shrimp are pink.
- Salt the broth before the seafood goes in. The clams and mussels release briny liquid, so season the base to taste first, then adjust lightly at the end.
- Do not skip the fennel. It adds a gentle sweetness that plain onion cannot.
- Choose a dry white wine you would drink. Avoid anything labeled "cooking wine," which tends to be oversalted.
- Cut the fish into even 1.5-inch chunks so they hold their shape and cook at the same rate as the shrimp.
- Make the broth 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat to a simmer, then add fresh seafood just before serving.
- The tomato base alone freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze before adding any seafood.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Remove clams and mussels from their shells before storing. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat; avoid the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 48gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 1450mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8g
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