Nick’s Cove Cioppino
Frankie Frankeny
“Cioppino is one of those San Francisco staples that relies heavily on great seafood, and our version does not disappoint,” says Dena Grunt. “The richly flavored broth provides a silky base for a profusion of shrimp, crab, mussels, clams, and fish. It takes a bit of patience and one eye on the clock to make a great cioppino, but the result is well worth the effort. Be sure to serve it with the crunchy crostini prepared here or with crusty slices of sourdough bread.”
How to Make It
1
Make the broth: In a large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, pepper flakes, bay leaf, dried thyme, and smoked paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour in the clam juice and tomatoes with their juices and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 15 minutes.
2
Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, lightly purée the mixture, so it is still slightly chunky. (Alternatively, in batches, purée the mixture in a blender, then return to the pot.) Season to taste with salt and pepper and check spice level, adding more chili flakes if necessary. Return the pot of broth to the stovetop, cover, and keep warm on the lowest heat setting.
3
To make the crostini, preheat oven to 350°F. Slice French bread diagonally into 8 long pieces, each about 1⁄2-inch thick. Place on a baking sheet, brush each side with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toast in the oven until crispy, flipping pieces over halfway through, and checking to make sure they don’t get too dark, until crisp and golden brown, 8–10 minutes total.
4
If necessary, reheat the broth over low heat until piping hot. To cook the seafood, melt the butter over medium heat in a large hot skillet. Add all seafood together and carefully sauté, gently stirring for 2–3 minutes. Add the seafood to the hot cioppino sauce, then cover the pot and steam, stirring gently every so often, until the mussels and clams open, the shrimp have turned pink and are opaque and cooked through, and the crab is heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams or mussels that fail to open.
5
Divide seafood evenly into shallow bowls, then add two ladlesful of hot broth to each bowl. Garnish with crostini, lemon, and fresh chopped parsley. Serve at once.
Ingredients
FOR THE BROTH
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely diced
1 small bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, and finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry white wine
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 cups clam juice or fish stock
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE CROSTINI
1 loaf French baguette
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
FOR THE SEAFOOD
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb medium shrimp in the shell, peeled and deveined
1 whole Dungeness crab, freshly cooked and cracked (optional)
18–20 medium mussels, scrubbed clean and beards removed
18–20 small manila clams
3 Rock Cod filets, 8 oz. each, halved crosswise
2 lemons, quartered
1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves chopped
Directions
1
Make the broth: In a large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, pepper flakes, bay leaf, dried thyme, and smoked paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour in the clam juice and tomatoes with their juices and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 15 minutes.
2
Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, lightly purée the mixture, so it is still slightly chunky. (Alternatively, in batches, purée the mixture in a blender, then return to the pot.) Season to taste with salt and pepper and check spice level, adding more chili flakes if necessary. Return the pot of broth to the stovetop, cover, and keep warm on the lowest heat setting.
3
To make the crostini, preheat oven to 350°F. Slice French bread diagonally into 8 long pieces, each about 1⁄2-inch thick. Place on a baking sheet, brush each side with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toast in the oven until crispy, flipping pieces over halfway through, and checking to make sure they don’t get too dark, until crisp and golden brown, 8–10 minutes total.
4
If necessary, reheat the broth over low heat until piping hot. To cook the seafood, melt the butter over medium heat in a large hot skillet. Add all seafood together and carefully sauté, gently stirring for 2–3 minutes. Add the seafood to the hot cioppino sauce, then cover the pot and steam, stirring gently every so often, until the mussels and clams open, the shrimp have turned pink and are opaque and cooked through, and the crab is heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams or mussels that fail to open.
5
Divide seafood evenly into shallow bowls, then add two ladlesful of hot broth to each bowl. Garnish with crostini, lemon, and fresh chopped parsley. Serve at once.
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