Cioppino Recipe (Seafood Stew)
This Cioppino Recipe combines shrimp, scallops, Alaskan cod, and mussels in a rich, tomato-based broth. Combined and cooked in a single pot on the stove, it’s a restaurant-worthy meal that’s easy to make at home!
What is Cioppino?
If you are not familiar with Cioppino, it is a tomato-based seafood stew that originated in San Francisco in the late 1800s. It is believed that cioppino means “chip in,” which is exactly what Italian-American fishermen would do, adding whatever was left from the day’s catch.
I was first introduced to Cioppino at a restaurant I worked for in Pittsburgh. After my first bite, I was hooked. Pun intended!
The broth was light and flavorful and featured various pieces of tender seafood that made it filling. I remember that it was served with crusty garlic bread and fresh lemon wedges, and the combination of tastes and textures couldn’t have been more perfect.
It’s not a secret that I’m a big fan of seafood, incorporating recipes like Linguini with Crab, Four Ingredient Salmon Burgers, and Spicy Crab Roll Stacks into my meals at least once or twice a week. That said, I typically reserve this seafood Cioppino recipe for special occasions, because it requires a good bit of seafood, which can be expensive.
However, if you’re looking for a meal that is guaranteed to impress your family, this is it! For this version of the dish, I used all my favorite fish and added my own Healthyish twist to the broth.
You can use any fish you like best. So, feel free to experiment, and make this recipe your own. No matter what, it’s guaranteed to be a big hit!
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive Oil and Salted Butter – We use this to sauté the aromatics and create a rich base for the broth.
- Whole Garlic – Add the garlic to the stew whole, not minced!
- Sweet Onion – Do not substitute white onion, or the flavor of your stew will not be the same.
- Herbs and Spices – Dried oregano, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves create a savory, herbaceous flavor with the perfect touch of heat.
- White Wine – This deglazes the pan and adds depth to the broth. Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works best.
- Clam Juice – This adds a briny flavor, enhancing the seafood flavor of the broth.
- Seafood Stock – This forms the base of the broth.
- Water – Helps thin out the broth and break down the tomatoes, preventing the stew from being too overpoweringly “fishy.”
- Whole Peeled Tomatoes – This creates the classic tomato-based broth. Make sure to include both the tomatoes and the juices.
- Shrimp – You’ll need at least eight large shrimp. I prefer to leave the shells on, because I feel they add extra flavor to the broth. Just be sure to devein the shrimp before adding them to the stew!
- Scallops – When prepping the scallops, you’ll want to remove the foot. The foot is the hard rubbery part attached to the scallop. This is the area where the scallop attaches to the shell. While you can eat it, it is not pleasant. Simply peel it off before adding the scallops to the hot broth.
- Alaskan Cod – Use one pound of Alaskan cod, and cut it into small pieces.
- Mussels -When cleaning the mussels, you’ll want to rinse each one very well. They oftentimes can carry some sand or “beard hairs”. If you see the hairs simply pull them off of the shell. Once all of the mussels are clean, they will be ready to cook.
- Garnishes – Lemon wedges and fresh parsley add a bright, vibrant, slightly peppery taste, balancing the savory, briny flavors of the seafood stew.
How to Make This Cioppino Recipe
- Sauté. Add the olive oil and butter to a stock pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the whole garlic, diced onion, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, and sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Deglaze the pot. Add white wine to the pot, and simmer until the alcohol begins to cook off.
- Add the broth ingredients. Add the clam juice, a can of whole peeled tomatoes with juice, water, and seafood stock. Use a wooden spoon to break down the tomatoes. Then, add bay leaves.
- Simmer. Bring the liquid to a light boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer, and season to taste, stirring occasionally.
- Add the seafood. Add the shrimp first as they take the longest to cook. Let them sit in the broth for eight to ten minutes, depending on their size. Then, reduce the heat to low, and add the scallops and Alaskan cod fillets. Simmer for another six to eight minutes. Do not stir the cioppino! Simply shake the pot to get everything well incorporated. Finally, add the mussels, and wait for the shells to open.
- Garnish. Remove the garlic cloves and bay leaves, and serve your cioppino stew hot with fresh lemon wedges and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Cioppino recipes are typically served with sourdough bread. However, I love to pair mine with crusty garlic bread. Then, for a well-rounded meal, feel free to add a side salad or veggies like steamed broccoli or roasted asparagus.
Expert Tips
- For this cioppino recipe, I used all of my favorite fish, and added my own Healthyish twist to the broth. While you can use any fish you like, I used jumbo shrimp, Alaskan cod, scallops, and mussels. I left the shrimp shells on my shrimp because I feel the shells add some extra flavor to the broth. Just be sure to devein the shrimp before adding them to the stew.
- When prepping the scallops, you’ll want to remove the foot. The foot is the hard rubbery part attached to the scallop. This is the area where the scallop attaches to the shell. While you can eat it, it is not pleasant. Simply peel it off before adding the scallops to the hot broth.
- When cleaning the mussels, you’ll want to rinse each one very well. They often times can carry some sand or “beard hairs”. If you see the hairs simply pull them off of the shell. Once all of the mussels are clean, they will be ready to cook.
- Some other types of seafood that would work in this recipe include, halibut, crab, lobster, clams, and even salmon. Feel free to get creative. I would recommend enjoying this cioppino with some buttery garlic bread and lemon or you can always enjoy it with a side of buttered linguine. Another tasty option would be seasoned oyster crackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, leftovers will stay fresh for two to three days. Reheat the stew in a pot over medium to low heat on the stove to prevent the fish from becoming rubbery.
Technically, you can freeze Cioppino stew. However, I don’t recommend doing so, because the fish is likely to become rubbery!
Cioppino Recipe (Seafood Stew)
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, salted
- 4 cloves whole garlic, remove later
- 1 cup yellow or sweet onion, diced small
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 cup white wine, pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc work best, deglaze pan
- ½ cup clam juice, bottled clam juice is best
- 2-3 cups seafood stock
- ½ – 1 cup water
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, 28 ounces with juice, break down the tomatoes using a wooden spoon
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 large shrimp with shell, devein before adding to the stew
- 1 lb. scallops, about 6-8 large scallops remove the foot
- 1 lb. Alaskan cod fillet, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 dozen mussels, clean and remove beard hair
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons parsley , freshly chopped
Instructions
- Add olive oil and butter to a stock pot over medium heat.
- Once hot, add the whole garlic, diced onion, oregano, kosher salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir well. Saute until the onions are translucent. About 10 minutes.
- Next, deglaze the pan with white wine. Simmer until the alcohol begins to cook off. About 3-4 minutes. Then, add the clam juice, 1 can of whole peeled tomatoes with juice, water, and seafood stock. Break down the tomatoes using a wooden spoon. Add the bay leaves.
- Bring to a light boil, reduce the heat to a simmer before you begin to add the seafood. Stir occasionally. Taste the broth to see if it needs more seasoning.
Add the Seafood
- First start with the shrimp, they will take the longest to cook. My shrimp were very large, so I let them sit in the broth for 8-10 minutes before I added any other seafood.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Next, you’ll add the prepared scallops and Alaskan cod fillets to the broth. Simmer for another 6-8 minutes. Reducing the heat will help prevent the scallops and cod from getting too tough.Do not stir the cioppino, simply shake the pot to get everything well incorporated. This will prevent the fish from flaking into small pieces.
- Finally, you will add the mussels. Once the mussel shells open you know they are ready.Remove the bay leaves and serve hot with fresh lemon wedges, chopped parsley and garlic toast.
3 Comments on “Cioppino Recipe (Seafood Stew)”
We were on vacation in Maine and I made this. It was so good. There were four of us for dinner and along with a loaf of crusty bread there was nothing left.
This was absolutely amazing!!!! I did add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 2 tbsp butter and used shallots instead. Will definitely make again.
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary over the weekend and he isn’t big on eating out. I wanted to make something special and he loves seafood so I thought I would give this a try. I couldn’t find mussels, but it still turned out to be a great dish. Thank you for such a special recipe.