Cioppino - Vera's Italian Fish Stew

VeraBlue

VeraBlue

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Ingredients:

Chopped onion
crushed garlic cloves
diced red pepper
bay leaves
dried chiles
red wine vinegar
fish stock or clam juice
red wine
calamari
hearty fish filet (I used monkfish)
shrimp
scallops
clams
crabs
mussels
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Saute the onions and peppers and garlic with the bay leaves and dried chiles in olive oil till soft and transparent but not brown
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Add 3T vinegar, cook till most of the liquid evaporates . Add 2 cups of wine, and cook till most of the liquid evaporates. Add 3 c stock or clam juice and 1/3 c tomato paste, along with the calamari, sliced into rings. Simmer 20 minutes. Add remaining fish and simmer 30 minutes.
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Oil and toast sliced ciabatta. Place into bowl and ladle the stew on top of the bread. Top with chopped parsley and basil

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QSis

QSis

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I'm not a fan of most seafood, but your dish sure makes me WISH I was, Vera!

It's beautiful!

Lee
 
homecook

homecook

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Wow!! That looks great.......I love seafood.......I've got to try this. I've had it in restaurants before but this looks superb!!
 
FryBoy

FryBoy

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Looks and sounds wonderful.

BUT, as a third-generation native Californian, I have to point out that Cioppino is in fact not an "Italian" dish -- it was developed in San Francisco in the late 1800s and early 1900s by the local fishermen, many of whom were Italian immigrants. Here's a site with a bit of history of this wonderful seafood stew, and a link to the Wikipedia article (also, check the sources cited at the end of the Wiki article):

http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/cioppino-rec.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cioppino
 
Lefty

Lefty

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Very nice looking dish Vera. I saw them do this on one show and I always wanted to try it. I may be asking for advice on this in the future. :D
 
Adillo303

Adillo303

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Vera - Gorgeous as usual.

Doug - Does an Italian immigrant cease to be able to create an Italian dish when he arrives in this country? LOL J/K
 
VeraBlue

VeraBlue

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Thanks everyone! Woke up this morning to a house that smelled like a fishery, but it was well worth it!
 
dansdiamond

dansdiamond

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OMG Vera- I haven't had homemade Cioppino since my dad was alive!
Thank You so much for the recipe.
 
buckytom

buckytom

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very nice, vb. i'll be making this soon, except with fresh tomatoes since i have them coming out my ears.

nice bowls, too.

was the fish from your monger in town? i like the head-on shrimp idea for flavor, although i'd probably still split and clean the tails. i get creeped out thinking about shrimp poo.
 
VeraBlue

VeraBlue

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The guy in town does have the fresh shrimp but I got these in Hackensack on River Street, near Passaic Street.
 
Keltin

Keltin

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Good Lord!!! That looks so good. I must try this. I'll always be a fan of gumbo, but I think I can make room to love this too! Awesome! :clap:
 
PieSusan

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
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Heaven in a bowl, Vera. Further, cioppino qualifies as a low calorie and healthy dish.
 
VeraBlue

VeraBlue

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You are right about it being a healthful dinner....the only fat is what I sauted the vegetables in.
 
GotGarlic

GotGarlic

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VeraBlue said:
You are right about it being a healthful dinner....the only fat is what I sauted the vegetables in.
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Weeelllll, it's definitely healthful, but the scallops and shrimp do contain some fat and cholesterol - but it's mostly the good fat. Sorry, the editor in me nitpicks sometimes :blush: The dish looks delish, Vera!
 
joec

joec

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My only problem with it as whole shrimp. I hate to peal and eat shrimp once in a tomato based anything. Don't mind boiled shrimp for peal and eat but always a problem like this.
 
VeraBlue

VeraBlue

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Most of the recipes I've seen that come from American cookbooks call for peeled and cleaned shrimp...The Italian cookbooks I have all call for fresh shrimp. While I don't care for peeling the shrimp either..(Lou peeled for me!) it does give a nice flavour to the stew.
 
High Cheese

High Cheese

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joec said:
My only problem with it as whole shrimp. I hate to peal and eat shrimp once in a tomato based anything. Don't mind boiled shrimp for peal and eat but always a problem like this.
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I don't mind peeling shimp unless it's for something like shrimp cocktail. It's so easy to use the shells to make stock for a great sauce or cooking liquid.
 
joec

joec

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I have no problem pealing shrimp and saving the shells for stock. My problem is having to peal them completely when covered with tomato sauce while eating. It is so much fun using 25 napkins in the process of eating shrimp. :unsure:
 
chowhound

chowhound

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joec said:
I have no problem pealing shrimp and saving the shells for stock. My problem is having to peal them completely when covered with tomato sauce while eating. It is so much fun using 25 napkins in the process of eating shrimp. :unsure:
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That's my thoughts, too. I'd probably clean them first and stick the shells in wrapped up to add flavor, but it does look beautiful that way.
 
High Cheese

High Cheese

Saucier
joec said:
I have no problem pealing shrimp and saving the shells for stock. My problem is having to peal them completely when covered with tomato sauce while eating. It is so much fun using 25 napkins in the process of eating shrimp. :unsure:
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Oh I gotcha. I flung one across the table once trying to peel it on the plate with my fork and knife. :bonk:
 
joec

joec

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High Cheese said:
Oh I gotcha. I flung one across the table once trying to peel it on the plate with my fork and knife. :bonk:
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We stopped once on a trip in a place in North Carolina that had a buffet. They had peal and eat shrimp but I left my glasses in the car and put one in my mouth without pealing it. Now that is a wake up call especially the crunchiness. I almost choked to death while my DW laughed. :whistling:
 
Constance

Constance

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joec said:
I have no problem pealing shrimp and saving the shells for stock. My problem is having to peal them completely when covered with tomato sauce while eating. It is so much fun using 25 napkins in the process of eating shrimp. :unsure:
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Spread newspapers on the table and set out a roll of paper towels. Suck the good juice off the shrimp before you peel it, and it won't be so messy. Don't forget the crusty bread.

Vera, that looks so good it makes me wanta cry.
 
joec

joec

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Constance said:
Spread newspapers on the table and set out a roll of paper towels. Suck the good juice off the shrimp before you peel it, and it won't be so messy. Don't forget the crusty bread.

Vera, that looks so good it makes me wanta cry.
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You mean like a crawfish boil as shown below. :whistling:
 

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VeraBlue

VeraBlue

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ooooooooooooooooooooooIwantthat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can walk down Frenchmen street in New Orleans when the crawfish are in season...and people are doing crawfish boils on the curbs in front of their homes.... and you walk past one, and then another and then anothe.......
 
joec

joec

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This was a Kentucky crawfish boil Vera, though the crawfish were caught in Louisiana the day I got them here. This was about half of the ones I got which was close to 65 lbs. Oh I lived just over the border in Texas for 10 years and a little over a year in Jennings Louisiana so do know a little about Cajun foods especially crawfish boils since we did them often there. I still have the 75 qt pot and burner as well.
 
joec

joec

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I didn't buy them in bags we filled a coolers with them went into the car and it came to me. We didn't buy them either I might add and I only got a third of the haul. So they may sell them in bags at your grocery store but in Louisiana if you catch them yourself they don't.
 
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