chef johns cioppino

Prawn

Chef Johns Cioppino

When you feel like splurging a little, San Francisco's famous cioppino is a great choice. This cioppino recipe, a spicy fish and shellfish stew, is a big red bowl of yummy, and when paired with a loaf of crusty sourdough bread, it's downright otherworldly.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 pinch salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups white wine
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
5 thin lemon slices
12 ounces cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 dungeness crab, cleaned, cooked, and cracked
1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (optional)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Combine butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
Stir in onion and celery with a pinch of salt; cook until onion is soft and golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Stir wine into onion mixture; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
Stir in tomato puree, water, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer, 35 minutes.
Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in lemon and cod, return to simmer, about 2 minutes.
Stir in crab, shrimp, and mussels. Cover and simmer until all mussels are cooked and open, about 5 minutes.
Stir in fresh parsley and basil; season with salt and pepper to taste.