Cioppino is perfect dish for cool temperature

One of my favorite cities to visit is San Francisco. My first impression was standing at the cable car turnaround on Market street. I was mesmerized watching the car climb up the hills of Powell St., disappearing as they started their journey towards the bay. Once we reached the bay, my thoughts turned to food.

One of the local dishes was a soup/stew called Cioppino. This delicacy was created by Italian immigrant fishermen in the city. It is said that fisherman who weren’t successful with their catch would go around with a pot and ask the others to “chip in” whatever they could spare. So today, I want to share with you  Louisiana version of Cioppino. The main difference is the type of crab that is used. In San Francisco, Dungeness crab is the star. Of course, Louisiana has the best crabs in the world, the Blue crab. So, gather your ingredients, and Let’s head to the kitchen!

Louisiana Style Cioppino

28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes

1 cup finely diced yellow onion

1/2 cup finely sliced leek

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 stalk celery, minced

1/2 green bell pepper, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 anchovy fillets, minced

1/2 roasted red pepper, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups dry red wine (sub extra stock)

1 cup seafood stock

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Creole seasoning to taste

3 blue crabs, cleaned and halved

18 mussels

1 1/2 pounds skinless mild fish (catfish or redfish work well)

18 large shrimp (U16-20), shelled and deveined

12 scallops

1/3 pound calamari

Finely chopped parley and basil for garnish

Garlic Croutons, for serving (see below)

Rouille, for serving (see below)

Place tomatoes, undrained, in a non-reactive mixing bowl; shred by hand, discarding any skin and hard cores. Set aside.

Clean onions; halve lengthwise and thinly slice. Thinly slice green onions; set aside a handful of green tops for garnish. Clean and dice bell pepper. Place a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; add olive oil. When hot, add onion, green onions, bell pepper, celery, bay leaf, oregano, and hot pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until onion softens, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomato paste and anchovy paste and cook for 2 minutes; deglaze pan with a little of the wine.

Add remaining wine to pan, bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until wine reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Add reserved tomatoes and juice, seafood stock or clam juice, and chicken broth; bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; remove and discard bay leaf.

Garlic Croutons

Slice a baguette into 1/4-inch slices on the diagonal; slice a clove of garlic in half lengthwise and rub bread on both sides with cut garlic. Brush with olive oil. Place in a single layer on baking rack., transfer to a 450℉ oven and bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Rouille

4 large cloves garlic

1 tablespoon Cioppino broth

Pinch saffron threads

1 slice firm white bread, crusts removed

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Pinch cayenne pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

Creole seasoning to taste

Clean garlic cloves; finely dice. Sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt and, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash into a pulp; transfer to a blender or food processor. Tear bread into pieces and add to garlic; process until very finely chopped. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, saffron, and cayenne pepper and process until combined. While processing, add olive oil in a very thin, steady stream to emulsify; this should take at least 1 minute. Add Creole seasoning to taste; refrigerate until ready to use.

I have never been to San Francisco without at least one bowl of Cioppino. It’s a perfect dish for the normally cool temperatures San Francisco has year round. It’s a great comforting dish.