Cioppino

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 3 bell peppers, finely chopped (green, yellow, red)
• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 bunch finely chopped fresh fennel, portion only
• 1 (28 ounce) can italian whole peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 bottle red wine (merlot)
• 2 lemons, juice of
• 4 cups clam juice or 4 cups fish stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 bunch chopped italian parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 24 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 24 small hard-shell clams (cherrystone, manila)
• 1 crab, cooked separated and cracked
• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lb bay scallop
• 2 lbs firm fish fillets, cut into pieces (halibut or cod)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in a stockpot over medium heat.
• 2 add onion, shallots and bell peppers.
• 3 cook while stirring until vegetables begin to soften.
• 4 add fennel and garlic and cook another 3 minutes while stirring.
• 5 add tomatoes,including juice, and break them up with a spoon.
• 6 add tomato paste and stir thoroughly until blended.
• 7 add wine, clam juice, water, lemon juice, parsley, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, thyme and oregano.
• 8 simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes.
• 9 add mussels, clams cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• 10 add remaining seafood, cover and cook another 5 minutes or until most clams and mussels open.
• 11 discard any that do not open.
• 12 remove from heat, cover for 5 more minutes more.
• 13 adjust seasoning.