CIOPPINO

So yesterday I picked up some cod for supper and mentioned to the Hubby that they also had some nice looking clams. He said we should go pick some up and I could make clam chowder. That got me to thinking of cioppino – a seafood soup that would use the fresh clams, cod, and some miscellaneous seafood we had in the freezer. So today, we picked up the rest of the ingredients and I came home and got ready to make a big pot. There are a ton of recipes for cioppino, so feel free to use mussels, crab, more clams, oysters, squid, etc.

I used a combination of quite a few recipes, and think it’s quite versatile of a recipe as you can add whatever seafood suits your fancy! I did find that I wasn’t overly fond of the surf clams, but it may be because they weren’t fresh. 

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Cioppino - Seafood Soup

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds toasted and lightly ground
• 1 onion chopped small
• 1 fennel thinly sliced (set fronds aside)
• 1 jalapeno chopped fine
• 4-6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups white wine
• 1 cup clam juice
• 1 small can clams save the juice for above
• Approximately 3 cups of cod fillet sprinkled with Old Bay and cut into chunks
• Approximately 3 cups each of surf clams precooked large shrimp, clams in the shell
• Chopped fennel fronds for garnish

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large sauce pot.
• Add the fennel seeds and let saute for a minute until the aromas are released.
• Add the onion, fennel, and jalapeno, seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the garlic and bay ;eaves, stirring to mix. Let saute for another few minutes, until the onion has gone clear.
• Add the tomato paste, can of tomatoes, wine, and clam juice. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, turn down heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the whole clams and let cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the fish, gently stir, and let cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add the surf clams and precooked shrimp, canned clams, season with salt and pepper, stir gently and let simmer until they have heated through.
• Sprinkle with the chopped fennel fronds, stir and ladle into bowls.