CIOPPINO
4 to 6 servings
A classic fisherman’s stew from San Francisco. For the yield listed, choose clams or mussels, not both. If Dungeness crabs are not available, blue crabs or lobsters may be substituted. If the crabs are already cooked, clean them, crack open the claws and legs as directed, and add with the clams. You may also substitute 12 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage (just add the crabmeat and heat it through before adding the herbs and lemon juice).
Kill:
- 2 live Dungeness crabs (about 4 pounds)
Crack the claws once or twice to expose the meat. Remove and discard the top shell, gills, and viscera, and cut the body into 4 pieces. Set aside. Add to a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- (1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced)
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 dried red chiles or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the crab pieces along with:
- One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped or crushed
- 3 cups Shrimp or Shellfish Stock, Poultry Stock, or 2 cups water and one 8-ounce bottle clam juice
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 2 wide strips lemon zest
Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add to the pot if using:
- (16 small hard-shell clams, scrubbed)
Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add:
- 1 pound firm white fish fillets (halibut, rockfish, or cod), cut into 1-inch cubes
- (16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded)
Cover and cook until any shellfish have opened, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. If desired, you may pick the meat from the crab, or provide lobster or crab crackers (along with plenty of napkins) for diners at the table. Divide the seafood among soup bowls. Stir into the broth:
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Lemon juice to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Ladle the broth over the seafood. Serve with a bowl to collect shells and:
- Hunks of warmed French bread or Crostini