San Francisco Bay Style Ciopinno
December 30, 2005
What better way to bring in the New Year than with a bowl of seafood? I suggest you try making this dish for your party or intimate dinner for 2.
My brother took me to Fisherman's Wharf and treated me to a bowl of San Francisco's finest Ciopinno from Alioto's. This dish (sometimes spelled cioppino) is said to have originated in SF by Portuguese fisherman and was later adopted by Italian immigrants in California as a dish of their own. Wherever it came from, the best bowl you'll ever have is in the bay area. Recreating this dish is a little expensive, but worth every cent if you are a seafood lover. I suggest that you purchase your fish from Whole Foods. Their fish market is one of the best in the country for a chain grocer and they buy from companies who use sustainable methods of fish harvesting so you can eat with a clear conscience that you haven't contributed to over-fishing.
You will need:
- 1/2 of a bell pepper, diced;
- 3 cloves of minced garlic;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 1/2 tsp of saffron threads;
- large can of whole tomatoes that you dice yourself (reserve liquid);
- 2 tblsp of tomato paste;
- 3 tblsp of olive oil;
- 1/2 c white wine;
- 1 c vegetable stock;
- 1/4 c fresh chopped basil and Italian parsley;
- 1 large carrot finely diced;
- handful of diced white onion;
- 1/2 c of diced fennel;
- 2/3 lb deveined shrimp with tails on;
- 6 littleneck clams; 6 mussels;
- 1 lb of Dungeness crab (your fish monger should prepare this for you so it is cleaned and cracked).
- Lemon, chile piquin and parmesan cheese, and a side of toasted baguette should accompany service.
Step One: In a large stock pot, combine onion, fennel, garlic, bell pepper, carrot, and olive oil. Cook until translucent.
Step Two: Add wine and cook for 5 minutes. Add vegetable stock and tomatoes with reserved liquid, tomato paste, bay leaf, saffron. Cook that on medium high for 10-15 minutes. Add more liquid if necessary (consistency should be that of a stew). Remove bay leaf after cooking time.
Step Three: Scrub the clams and mussels, add them to the pot and cover. Cook this for 4 minutes. Add crab and cook for another 7 minutes. Add shrimp at last before serving, cooking for 4 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Add the chopped basil and Italian parsley, incorporating it into the dish.
Step Four: Divide seafood among bowls, ladle in the soup. Garnish with lemon and parmesan cheese. Leave an empty bowl on the table for shells. Eat with spoon, oytser fork, and bread. Goes will with wine.
Tip: for extra tasty dishes, be sure to add kosher salt in the cooking process, but only about 1 tbsp in a pot like this (seafood is already salty). You should also reserve the shrimp shells, wrap them into a cheesecloth, and add this to the stock in step two, removing when you add the other seafood. You may also add clam juice (1/2 c) to the stock during step two as well if you like.
