Inspired by several of our guest chef’s recipes over at the cooking club for an Italian cioppino ad while they’ all have fantastic versions, I wanted what normally works for me on this special holiday weekend.
With the thought that summer is coming to an end, I thought it necessary to pay tribute to the bounty of the sea this Labor Day weekend and what started out as a little pot of cioppino quickly expanded to a small army sized pot of goodness that we enjoyed with several friends. I usually reserve my best recipe for a Christmas Eve celebration, but with such fresh seafood available it just seemed right. Friends did not disappoint donating a pound of this and a pound of that to the effort extra shrimp, calamari, and crab meat to add to the other goodies that dove into the pot for a swim.
I have numerous recipes for cioppino, but the best one is filled with a ton of ingredients, but once the prep is done it is just a matter of sautéing, tossing in tomatoes, stock and about a 45-minute simmer before tossing in your own favorite seafood. This recipe is very adaptable
*optional sausage seasoning that contains fennel, just a few pinches.
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the basil purée: Make the basil purée in a mini food processor, combine the basil leaves with the whole garlic and process until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and the crushed red pepper and process the basil puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving time.
Making the cioppino base: In a very large soup pot, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped garlic, anchovies, jalapeños, bell peppers, onion and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, over moderately high heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute longer. Add the clam broth, shrimp, lobster broth, season lightly with salt and generously with pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the broth is reduced to about 8 cups, about 20 minutes. I like to make the broth a day ahead of time as it is easily reheated before adding the seafood. I like to steam the clams and mussels just before serving time wit so many it is hard to get them to open at the same time…Steam them in a large pan and pluck them out just as the pop open, place on a large platter. When the soup base comes to a gentle boil, ladle a little over the clams and start adding the rest of your seafood ingredients, the calamari should cook for only a couple of minutes while the everything else takes 2-3 minutes in the bubbling hot broth…
Seafood for the cioppino can vary, I use blue crab instead of Dungeness and I prefer to add just picked crab meat.
At least 8 ounces of cleaned squid, rings and tentacles
Crusty bread, for serving
To serve: Scoop several clams and mussels into bowls, ladle piping hot cioppino over your bowl of shellfish, and add a touch of the basil purée just before serving.
Great dinner shared with great friends and thanks to everyone for your contributions to dinner.
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