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Spicy Cioppino My Way

Shanna
Spicy Cioppino My way A spicy and really flavorful version of the Italian immigrant seafood stew. Perfect for any time of the year.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ fennel bulb diced
  • 2 medium leeks white and light green part only, rinsed and diced
  • 1 small white onion diced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dried Basil*
  • 1 ½ teaspoon dried Oregano*
  • 1 teaspoon smoked Paprika*
  • ½-1 teaspoon red chile flakes*
  • 1 tablespoon high quality balsamic vinegar (Fini from World Market
  • 355 ml dry Italian White wine (1 ½ cups )(Pino Blanco, Pinot Grigio Vermentino or Pino Gris)
  • 355 ml Italian Red wine (1 ½ cups) (sangiovese)
  • 3 ounces tomato paste
  • 592 ml clam juice (or seafood stock) (2 ½ cups)
  • 1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2 Bay leaves*
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
  • Seafood:
  • 1 lb Manilla Clams scrubbed well
  • 1 lb Mussels debearded and scrubbed well
  • 1 lb Prawns tails on and deveined
  • 1 lb Cod or other firm white fish cut into chunks
  • 4-6 rock crab claws Pre-cooked, optional
  • Other seafood options: Scallops Calamari, Dungeness crab, snow crab, little neck clams or cockles
  • ½ c Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
  • Hot sauce such as Tobasco or a habanero hot sauce

Instructions
 

  • Slice the top off the garlic bulb exposing the cloves and place in a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and roast in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 min or until very soft. Remove from the oven until cool enough to handle and remove all the cloves. Mash into a paste.
  • In a large stockpot or Dutch oven heat the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the fennel, onion and leeks and sauté until starting to caramelize, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add in the mashed roasted garlic and stir another 30 seconds. Rub the oregano and basil between your hands to release their oils and add them to the pan with the smoked paprika, red chile flakes and balsamic vinegar. Stir again another 30 seconds. Add in the paste and 1 cup of each the white wine and red wine. Stir well and bring to a simmer for about 5 min to reduce the wines slightly. Pour in the clam juice, the San Marzano tomatoes with their juice, the remaining wine and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Taste the cioppino and season with salt and pepper. Using and immersion blender, blend the soup about 30 seconds only partially pureeing it. Add the remaining ½ c of each wine.
  • Raise the heat to medium and add the clams and mussels, then the prawns, fish and crab claws (if using). Let cook about 5 minutes until all the clams and mussels have opened, the prawns are opaque and the fish has cooked.
  • Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the parsley. Add additional hot sauce if desired for more spice! Serve hot with more red and white wine to drink and of course good crusty Italian bread for dipping.

Notes

The broth can be made ahead of time and either refrigerated or frozen until ready to finish the dish. Just thaw and heat to a simmer before adding the seafood.
Smoked paprika, extra red pepper flakes and balsamic vinegar are my "secret ingredients" to making this cioppino extra good.
If you are intimidated by the thought of prepping the seafood you can always ask anyone at your local seafood store or seafood counter at your grocery store to prep it for you, they are always happy to help.
*Spices from World Market found HERE