San Francisco-Style Cioppino Recipe

San Francisco-Style Cioppino

Recipe provided by Putah Creek Cafe

• Difficulty: Advanced
• Servings: 6
• Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
• Active Time: 1 hour

Cioppino Tomato Base:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small serrano chile
• 1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 bottle quality red wine
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (suggested: Tabasco)
• 10 cups canned pureed tomatoes (about five 15-ounce cans; suggested: Di Napoli, San Marzano-style)
• Fish Stock (recipe below)

Seafood:

• 3 whole Dungeness crab legs and bodies, meat kept intact
• 18 littleneck clams, well cleaned
• 18 black mussels, beards removed and cleaned
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh sea bass or other firm-fleshed fish, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 12 peeled and deveined prawns (reserve shells for stock)

Fish Stock:

• 1 pound fresh fish bones, including head if available
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 small carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 smashed garlic cloves
• 1/4 bunch parsley stems
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• Prawn shells from above
• 11 to 12 cups clam juice

Preparation Instructions:

Dive into the bold flavors of San Francisco-Style Cioppino, a seafood lover's dream straight from Putah Creek Cafe. This advanced recipe yields rich, aromatic results that will transport you to the foggy waterfrontperfect for impressing guests with its vibrant tomato base and fresh ocean bounty.

1. For the tomato base: In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, bell pepper, and celery, sauting until softened, about 5 minutes. Incorporate the garlic, serrano chile, fresh herbs, and seasonings; cook until aromatic. Pour in the red wine, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce; reduce until nearly evaporated. Stir in the pureed tomatoes and all the fish stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding solids.
2. For the seafood: Transfer the strained broth to a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Add crab, clams, mussels, and sea bass. Cover and cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until all seafood is just cooked.
3. To serve: Divide the seafood evenly into 6 large bowls and ladle the broth over the top. Serve with garlic bread on the side.

Fish Stock Recipe:

1. Combine all fish stock ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Strain the broth into a container, reserving the clear stock and discarding solids.

Serving suggestion: Pair with crusty garlic bread to soak up every drop of this irresistible, herb-infused brothyour kitchen will smell like a seaside feast!

This recipe comes from a culinary professional and has not been tested for home kitchen use.

Recipe credit: Putah Creek Cafe, Winters, CA