cioppino (spicy seafood stew)
I first learned about Cioppino, a seafood stew originating in San Francisco, about 15 years ago, whilst sitting at my mum's best friend's dining table, leafing through her cookbooks. The idea of combining simmering tomatoes, chilli and seafood got my mouth watering, but I didn't try my hand at it until a few years later when I moved to France and was trying to think of something to warm us up on a cold, wintery day. I couldn't remember the recipe exactly, so I just threw in what I thought would be close and it was good. So good, in fact, that it now occupies a place on our regular meal rotation.
That's why this is only an approximation of a proper Cioppino, which apparently also requires things like tomato paste and fennel seeds or even tomato juice.
I figure that what makes these sorts of recipes so fantastic is that they can change every time you make it, according to what you have in the cupboard and what's in season.
- olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- half an onion, finely chopped
- 1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes (good quality)
- 2 cups fish stock
- half a cup of white wine
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, to taste (or fresh chilli)
- 1 sprig of thyme, leaves removed
- 2 rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1 small fillet of firm white fish, chopped into chunks (such as cod)
- 6 scallops with roe, cleaned
- 10 raw prawns (shrimp), peeled and deveined (keep the last tail piece on)
- 4 raw langoustines (scampi), peeled and deveined (keep the last tail piece on)
- parsley, to serve
- fresh baguette, to serve
Serves 2, generously.
You can easily add any type of seafood to this, according to what is in season: cockles, mussels, squid, clams, pipis, crab... If you decide to add things like cockles or mussels, cook them until they open directly in the stew, but reduce the amount of fish stock you put in to only one and a half cups because they'll release lots of delicious juices.
If you can't get fresh seafood you can also use frozen or canned items - just make sure everything is properly defrosted before cooking.
- In a medium pan sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil for a few minutes, until the onion is transparent. Add the crushed tomatoes, fish stock, wine and herbs and simmer for ten minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Add the fish and let simmer for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the seafood and simmer for another 3 minutes or so. It's important that you don't overcook the scallops and shellfish, otherwise they'll be rubbery and hard (ie. totally unyummy).
- Serve directly from the pot on the table, sprinkle with a little parsley and make sure there is plenty of crusty bread for mopping up the stew.
