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Authentic San Francisco Cioppino

Close-up of a rich, red tomato-based Cioppino stew filled with mussels, clams, and chunks of white fish, garnished with parsley.
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Make a classic Italian-American seafood stew featuring a rich tomato and white wine broth loaded with fresh crab, clams, mussels, and firm white fish.

Ingredients

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  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup fish or clam broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 pound firm white fish (like cod or halibut), cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 1 pound clams, scrubbed
  • 1 pound crab, cleaned and cracked (or use pre-cooked sections)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, fish broth, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes to allow the broth flavors to meld.
  5. Season the broth with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the white fish pieces, mussels, and clams to the simmering broth. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
  7. Add the crab pieces. Cover and continue to cook until all the clams and mussels have opened, about 5 to 7 more minutes. Discard any shellfish that do not open.
  8. Remove the bay leaf. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed.
  9. Ladle the Cioppino into large bowls, making sure each serving gets a variety of seafood. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

  • Use the freshest seafood available for the best flavor in your Cioppino.
  • If you cannot find fresh crab, substitute with pre-cooked crab meat added during the last 5 minutes of cooking just to heat through.
  • Serve this hearty seafood stew with thick slices of sourdough bread.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://savoryskies.com/cioppino-recipe-authentic-seafood-stew/