Cioppino Seafood Stew Italian Recipe
Classic Italian seafood stew is perfect festive fare for a holiday or family gathering. Just remember that eating cioppino is a messy, hands-on business—so save your fancy linens for another dish. Leftovers are spectacular with pasta the next day.
Ingredients
| 1 | recipe | cioppino tomato sauce |
| 2 | pounds | filleted fish, cut into 3×2-inch pieces* |
| 2 | cooked crabs, cracked into pieces | |
| 2 | pounds | shrimp in their shells, veins removed |
| 2 | pounds | mussels** |
| 2 | pounds | clams |
| 2 | pounds | scallops*** |
| *Good choices are fresh sea bass, red snapper and halibut. **Fresh, live mussels are best, but frozen work well. ***Use frozen if fresh are not available. |
Directions
- Place 1 cup of the cioppino sauce in a spacious skillet and bring to a boil.
- Add the chunks of filleted fish and adjust the heat as needed to achieve a lively simmer. Cook until the fish is firm—approximately 20 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.Note: Large, fleshy pieces of fish are cooked separately from the sharp- shelled crabs, mussels and clams to protect the more delicate fish from getting shredded in the pot.
- Pour the remaining sauce into a large pot and bring it to a boil.
- Add the crabs, shrimp, mussels, clams and scallops and adjust the heat as needed to achieve a lively simmer. Cook for 25–30 minutes, until the seafood releases its juice and absorbs some of the sauce.
- Give the cioppino a good stir and transfer it into a serving bowl.
- Place the cooked fish pieces on top and serve.
Preparation Time:
Approximately 45–60 minutes with pre-made cioppino
tomato sauce.
tomato sauce.
