Cioppino is a seafood stew that originated in San Francisco, specifically from the immigrant workers at the docks known as Fisherman’s Wharf and contains a variety of seafood cooked in a tomato and white wine based broth.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword california, mussels, San Francisco, seafood, shellfish, shrimp, tomato, white wine, wine
Heat a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Add the butter and allow to melt then add the onion, celery, carrot, leek and fennel to the pot and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté an additional 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and stir to combine then add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes, seafood stock, oregano and bay leaves then lower the heat and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat through. Add a tablespoon of butter and allow to melt.
Season the shrimp and scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and sauté until no longer pink and translucent, about a minute on each side. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Add the remaining oil and butter to the pan, then add the scallops and cook until lightly browned on each side and just barely cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.
Remove the scallops from the pan and place on a plate, covered. Return the pan to the heat and add ½ cup of water to deglaze the pan, then add the deglazed bits to the cooking pot of broth (this will add additional flavor).
Add the halibut and swordfish to the broth and cook until the fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes. Add the clams and mussels to the broth then cover and cook until both open, about an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shrimp, scallops and snow crab claws to the broth and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Discard the bay leaves then ladle the stew into soup bowls and garnish with fennel fronds.