Cioppino Seafood Stew with Fennel Tomato Broth and Shellfish
By Emma Collins
Prep
30 min
Cook
40 min
Total
70 min
Servings
6
Level
Easy
Thirty minutes of simmering opens up space in a tomato-based, seafood stock and white wine mixture to add more seafood. Opening up space helps avoid overcooking seafood and adds flavor. An Italian dish, cioppino, is a seafood stew made with cod, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and clams in a broth with fennel.
Olive oil is used to sauté chopped fennel and yellow onion. Garlic, whole fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes are sautéed briefly. Seasoned stock ingredients include crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, white wine, salt, and pepper. A liqueur with an anise flavor is added after cooking to flavor the dish. Seafood ingredients include cod, peeled shrimp, halved scallops, mussels, and littleneck clams. A Dutch oven is used to give the ingredients room to simmer in the seasoned stock.
After boiling the broth uncovered, add cod, shrimp, scallops, and mussels without stirring. Clams and other shellfish should cook open when boiled covered, and the cod should remain intact. The main mistake in making this dish is stirring, which can cause cod to flake and mussels to be discarded after cooking. Mussels with closed shells should not be added to or served in this dish.
Serve the soup in shallow soup bowls. Scatter chopped parsley over each bowl. Provide sliced sourdough baguette for dipping in the soup. The soup base can be made two days ahead, chilled, and reheated. Shellfish and other seafood can be added before serving.
Why this recipe works
- Sautéing the fennel and onions for 10 minutes with tomato broth reduces their tough texture and the broth's flavor.
- Garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes are added toward the end of the cooking process to release their aroma while keeping the broth’s seasoning focused.
- A thirty-minute boil without a lid allows the tomato and wine and seafood stocks to reduce and flavor before adding seafood to the pot.
- Seafood stock provides additional flavor and body to the broth.
- Cooking cod first with shrimp, scallops, and mussels ensures that all ingredients are fully cooked and the shellfish do not break apart during cooking.
- Covering the pot once the shellfish begin to simmer cooks the shellfish slowly. Opening the shells lets you monitor their cooking progress.
- A three-minute covered cold soak after adding anise liqueur allows other seasonings to blend. Chopped parsley adds a contrasting flavor to the soup when served.
Ingredients
- •¼ cup olive oil
- •2 cups fennel bulb (white part only, cut into 1/2-inch dice)
- •1 ½ cups yellow onion (1 large, cut into 1/2-inch dice)
- •3 cloves garlic (pressed or minced)
- •1 tsp whole fennel seeds
- •½ tsp red pepper flakes
- •1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- •4 cups seafood stock
- •1 ½ cups dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
- •1 tbsp kosher salt
- •1 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
- •1 lb cod fillets (skin removed, cut into 2-inch dice)
- •1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- •1 lb sea scallops (halved crosswise)
- •1 dozen mussels (scrubbed)
- •1 dozen littleneck clams (or other small clams)
- •1 tbsp anise-flavored liqueur (such as Pernod or Pastis)
- •3 tbsp parsley (minced)
- •sourdough baguette (sliced, for serving)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- 2
Add the fennel and onion and sauté for 10 minutes, until tender.
- 3
Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- 4
Add the crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, white wine, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- 5
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- 6
Add the cod first.
- 7
Add the shrimp, scallops, and mussels in that order. Do not stir.
- 8
Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, until the seafood is cooked and the shellfish open.
- 9
Stir in the anise-flavored liqueur, taking care not to break up the fish.
- 10
Cover and set aside for 3 minutes for the flavors to blend.
- 11
Discard any mussels that have not opened.
- 12
Ladle into large, shallow bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with sliced sourdough baguette.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
373
Protein
42g
Fat
12g
Carbs
11g
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