I love seafood. We get almost all our seafood here in San Diego at Catalina Offshore. They have amazing great seafood that is fresh daily. A lot of the local restaurants get their seafood here and they are open to the public. I love taking my kids here it is a true working fish market where they can at times see the entire tuna being hung to be cut up. It is great.
I love Cioppino. It is perfect for this colder weather and this year we made it for New Year's Eve.
Ingredients
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 large garlic cloves—6 finely chopped, 2 whole
3 jalapeños, seeded and minced
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large bay leaf
1 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup white wine
fresh tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved
36 ounces of fresh fish broth (see note on how to make, so easy)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
4 steamed Dungeness crabs, about 2 pounds each (or king crab legs which is what I used)
2 dozen clams, scrubbed
2 pounds firm, white-fleshed fish fillets such as halibut, skinned and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
Crusty bread, for serving
Directions
In a very large soup pot, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped garlic, jalapeños, bell peppers, onion and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, over moderately high heat until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute longer. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices and cook over moderately high heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the fish broth and water, season lightly with salt and generously with pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the broth is reduced to about 8 cups, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, combine the basil leaves with the whole garlic and process until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and process the basil puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If you are using a complete crab, pull off the flap on the undersides of the crabs. Remove the top shells and discard. Pry out the brownish insides and pull off the feathery lungs and discard. Rinse the crab bodies in cold water and quarter them so that each piece has body and leg. If you are just using king crab legs you can skip this step.
Add the crabs and clams to the pot. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the clams begin to open, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the crabs to a large platter. Add the fish, shrimp, and mussels to the pot, pushing them into the broth. Return the crabs to the pot, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams and mussels are fully open and the fish, shrimp and scallops are cooked through, about 8 minutes longer.
Ladle the cioppino into deep bowls and drizzle each serving with some of the basil puree. Serve with crusty bread and pass the remaining basil puree separately.
Make Ahead
The Dungeness crab cioppino can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Notes
Making fish broth is easy. When you pick up your seafood ask the fishmonger to give you the head and tail of the fish about two to five pounds. Then add the rinsed fish heads (and tail) to the pot with 1 medium onion, thinly sliced, 1 leek, white and pale-green parts thinly sliced, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs fresh parsley, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, and 4 whole black peppercorns. Add 10 cups of cold water to the large stockpot. Bring to a near boil over high heat. Reduce to low heat until simmering and cook for 20–30 minutes, skimming any scum off the surface. Strain stock through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and discard solids. Let cool and store. You can store the fish stock in the freezer if you are not going to use it in the next few days.
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