Cioppino (fisherman's seafood stew)

Name: Cioppino (fisherman's seafood stew)
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 raw blue swimmer crab; 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 1 fennel, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 6 garlic cloves, crushed, plus extra halved clove; 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes; 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed; 3 cups (750ml) white wine; 1 cup (250ml) good-quality passata; 1 bay leaf; 250g clams (vongole); 500g mussels; 500g large green prawns, peeled, deveined; 500g Kingfish or other firm-fleshed white fish, cut into 3cm pieces; Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon; Flat-leaf parsley leaves and thinly sliced grilled baguette, to serve

Rate now

Jump to recipe

by Shannon Bennett

Chef

Aug 08, 2018

“This seafood dish has become a classic, thanks to San Francisco restaurant Alioto’s on Fisherman’s Wharf. The popular establishment claims to have been the first to turn the frugal seafood stew of the Bay area’s Italian immigrant fishermen into a restaurant-quality version.”

1 raw blue swimmer crab
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 fennel, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed, plus extra halved clove
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
3 cups (750ml) white wine
1 cup (250ml) good-quality passata
1 bay leaf
250g clams (vongole)
500g mussels
500g large green prawns, peeled, deveined
500g Kingfish or other firm-fleshed white fish, cut into 3cm pieces
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Flat-leaf parsley leaves and thinly sliced grilled baguette, to serve

Method

1.

Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan to high heat. Using a large sharp knife, cut crab in half and remove gills. Using the heel of the knife, lightly crack claws and set aside.
2.

Heat oil in a large, deep frypan over medium heat and add fennel, onion, crushed garlic, chilli and fennel seeds. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add wine, increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until reduced by one-third. Add passata and bay leaf, stir to combine and bring to the boil. Add seafood and cook, covered, for 4 minutes or until seafood is just cooked through and clam and mussel shells open (you may need to cook in batches depending on size of your pan). Discard any clams and mussels that remain closed. Stir through lemon juice and season to taste. Scatter over zest and parsley, and drizzle over extra oil. Serve with sliced baguette.