The Ultimate Seafood Cioppino

This mouthwatering medley of the ocean's finest treasures is like a party in your mouth, featuring succulent shrimp, tender crab, briny mussels, and flaky fish, all swimming in a rich, aromatic tomato broth. It's a seafood symphony that's perfect for both the casual weeknight dinner and the fanciest of feasts.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8-10 canned or bottled oil cured anchovies, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
2 bay leafs
1/2 cup diced celery
1 medium to large onion, diced
1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
1 cup good rose or red wine
3 T red wine vinegar
1 quart homemade fish or shrimp soup stock
2 cans of Organic diced tomatoes (or fresh if they look nice)
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Dash or two of Tabasco Sauce
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley
2-3 T fresh lemon juice

SEASONING MIX:

1 T salt
1 T black or mixed whole pepper
2 T dried oregano
1 T fennel seeds
1 T fresh or dried rosemary leaves

Seafood:

Just about everything works in Cioppino and Italian fish Stew or Soup recipes, but here are our recommendations:

1/2 lb. medium shrimp (save shells for making seafood stock)
1/2 lb. scallops
24 fresh mussels (These in the photo are beautiful New Zealand Mussels, they have green and blue lined shells)
3 San Francisco Live dungeness crabs
4 King Crab Legs
1 Lobster tail (Optional)
1 lb. firm white fish, chopped in 1 inch pieces (cod, catfish, halibut, orange roughy, etc.)
16 fresh clams

Fresh bread of your choice, garlic baked if desired, and lots of it. (The juice is incredible)

PREPARATION:

Heat olive oil to medium and add anchovies. Add garlic after about 3 minutes (this mixture should smell fabulous by now, might even bring a whole slew of hungry family members a-runnin’). Add bay leaves, onions, celery and bell pepper plus 1/2 of the seasoning mix.

Sauté for 6-8 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, Tabasco and Worcestershire and reduce by 1/2, then add tomato sauce, basil and the rest of the seasoning mix. Simmer about 5 minutes then add the lemon juice.

Add the fish and shellfish, (Me here, in the ceremonial adding of the seafood in this photo) cover and cook about 7 more minutes. In this case if you have to transport this to a party house, turn off the heat an hour before departure, throw in the seafood, place lid on pot and duct tape it shut.

I needed two people to carry this pot to the car, make sure you set it on a big towel for the road. When you get there, put on the stove and remove any of the mussels and clams that don't open. Heat up and you have perfectly cooked seafood Cioppino ready.

Sprinkle the completed Italian fish stew with parsley and chopped fresh Basil. Serve with fresh, crusty San Francisco style Italian french bread.