San Francisco Cioppino (Italian-American Seafood Stew for Christmas Eve)

Why you’ll love it

• A true showstopper: a big pot of shellfish and fish that looks like a seaside restaurant meal.
• Quick seafood cooking: the broth does the slow work; the seafood is ready in 10 minutes.
• Make-ahead friendly: prepare the broth the day before and finish it right before dinner.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the tomato and wine broth

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (save a few fronds for garnish)
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
• 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups (720 ml) seafood stock, or two 8-oz (240 ml) bottles clam juice plus 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the seafood

• 1 lb (450 g) littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 lb (450 g) mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 1 lb (450 g) large shrimp (16 to 20 per lb), peeled and deveined, tails on
• 1 lb (450 g) firm white fish, such as halibut or cod, cut into 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) chunks
• 1 lb (450 g) cooked Dungeness or snow crab legs and clusters, cracked (optional but traditional)

For serving

• 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• Lemon wedges
• 1 sourdough baguette, sliced, brushed with olive oil, toasted and rubbed with a cut garlic clove

Step-by-step method

1. Prepare the shellfish. Scrub the clams and mussels under cold running water and pull off any beards. Discard any shells that are cracked or that stay open after a firm tap. Keep the shellfish in a bowl in the refrigerator until needed.

2. Cook the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.

3. Toast the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste and oregano and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly.

4. Add the wine. Pour in the white wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until reduced by about half.

5. Simmer the broth. Add the crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and full-flavored. Taste and adjust the salt and red pepper.

6. Cook the clams. Raise the heat to medium-high so the broth is at a steady simmer. Add the clams, cover and cook 4 minutes.

7. Add the remaining seafood. Nestle the mussels, fish, shrimp and crab into the broth. Cover and simmer gently 5 to 6 minutes more, without stirring so the fish does not break, until the clams and mussels have opened, the shrimp are pink and the fish flakes easily. Discard any clams or mussels that did not open and the bay leaves.

8. Serve. Ladle the stew into wide warm bowls, dividing the seafood evenly. Sprinkle with parsley, basil and fennel fronds and serve right away with lemon wedges, the garlic sourdough toasts and an empty bowl for the shells.

How to know it is done

The cioppino is ready when every clam and mussel has opened wide, the shrimp are pink, opaque and curled into a loose C shape, and the chunks of fish are opaque all the way through and just begin to flake when nudged with a spoon, about 145°F (63°C) in the center. The crab only needs to be heated through. Stop cooking as soon as you reach this point; overcooked shrimp curl into a tight O and become rubbery.

Tips for the best result

• Buy the freshest seafood available and cook it the same day; ask the fish counter which fish is best that day.
• Use a wine you would drink; the broth only tastes as good as the wine in it.
• Add the seafood in stages, firmest first, so everything is perfectly cooked at the same time.
• Do not stir once the fish is in; gently shake the pot instead so the chunks stay whole.
• Season the broth well before adding the seafood, remembering that clams and mussels release salty juices.

Variations and substitutions

• Scallops: replace the crab with 1 lb (450 g) large sea scallops, added with the shrimp.
• Without wine: use an extra 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) seafood stock plus 1 tbsp red wine vinegar.
• Spicier: double the red pepper flakes or add a pinch of cayenne and a splash of hot sauce.
• Squid: add 8 oz (225 g) cleaned squid rings in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
• Budget version: skip the crab and use 2 lb (900 g) of an affordable white fish plus the shrimp and mussels.
• Over pasta: serve the cioppino over linguine for an even heartier dinner.

Make ahead

Make the tomato and wine broth through step 5, cool it, and refrigerate it in a covered container up to 2 days or freeze it up to 3 months. When ready to serve, bring the broth back to a steady simmer in the Dutch oven and continue with steps 6 to 8, adding the seafood just before eating. The seafood should always be cooked right before serving.

Storage and reheating

Cioppino is best the day it is made. Remove the seafood from the shells and refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat just until hot, without boiling, so the seafood stays tender. Freezing the finished stew is not recommended because the cooked shellfish turns tough; freeze the broth alone instead.