San Francisco Cioppino Recipe

Delicious San Francisco cioppino seafood stew dates back to 1941. You can add whatever shellfish you like, and even fish. Scallops and monkfish are good in cioppino.

This dish goes together fast. Keep an eye on the cooking time once you add the seafood. Overcooking will make the shellfish tough. Be sure to discard any clams/mussels that do not open.

Serve with crusty sourdough bread to soak up all of the flavorful broth. Another suggestion is to serve it over linguine pasta.

1/4 cup olive oil or salad oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 large green bell pepper (I used yellow), stemmed, seeded and chopped
2/3 cup chopped parsley
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes
1 cup dry red or white wine
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves
12 clams in shell, suitable for steaming, scrubbed (I used half clams and half mussels)
1 pound large shrimp, (30 per pound), shelled and deveined
2 live or cooked large Dungeness crab (about 2 pounds each), cleaned and cracked

In 6-8 quart pan over medium heat, combine oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and parsley. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft. Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes (break up with spoon) and their liquid, wine, bay leaf, basil, and oregano. Cover and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

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To broth, add clams, shrimp, and crab. Cover and simmer gently until clams pop open and shrimp turn pink, about 10 minutes. Ladle hot broth and some of each shellfish into large bowls.

Authentic San Francisco cioppino is always served with warm sourdough bread.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Recipe Source: “Best of Sunset Magazine” (Leisure Arts)
Reprinted with express permission.