San Francisco Cioppino

Cioppino Recipe

Chef Melissa Santos shares this recipe for San Francisco Cioppino.

Cioppino Ingredients

Yield: 6 servings

  • 8 Mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 8 Littleneck or cherrystone clams, scrubbed
  • 2 Cups water
  • 16 oz. lean, firm, white fish (e.g. cod, tilapia), cut into serving-sized pieces
  • 4 Sea scallops
  • 1 Tablespoon of hot sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons of parsley
  • 8 Medium shrimp

Sauce Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
  • 1 Cup of onions, diced
  • 1/2 Cup of leeks, diced
  • 1/2 Cup of green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Cup of celery, diced
  • 1/2 Cup of carrots, diced
  • 1 Cup of plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste
  • 2 Cups of clam juice
  • 1/2 Cup of red wine
  • 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh basil, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Cioppino and Sauce Instructions
  1. Heat the oil and cook the onions, leek, green pepper, garlic, celery, and carrots until tender, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.  Add tomato paste, clam juice, wine, lemon juice, and bay leaf.
  3. Add the fresh herbs and correct seasoning to taste.  Set the stock aside.
  4. Clean and steam the mussels and clams in the 2 cups of water until the shells open.  Once cooked, save the liquid by straining it through a cheesecloth or wire strainer.  Add this delicious juice to the stock.
  5. Add the fish to the stock and simmer for another 3 minutes.  Add the shrimp and scallops, and simmer for another 2 minutes.
  6. Add hot sauce, mussels, and clams to the pot.  Simmer for another minute.

To Serve:  Divide the fish and shellfish evenly into warmed bowls.  Ladle the sauce over the seafood and sprinkle with parsley.