Best 5 San Francisco Cioppino Recipes

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**San Francisco Cioppino: A Fisherman's Feast from the Wharf**

Originating from the bustling Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Cioppino is a delectable seafood stew that embodies the city's culinary heritage. Introduced by Italian immigrants in the late 19th century, this iconic dish has become a beloved symbol of San Francisco's vibrant food scene. Cioppino is a true celebration of the sea, featuring an abundant variety of fresh seafood, including succulent Dungeness crab, tender shrimp, briny mussels, and firm-fleshed clams, all swimming in a rich, flavorful broth infused with aromatic herbs, tangy tomatoes, and a hint of spice. It's a dish that captures the essence of San Francisco's maritime history, a culinary treasure enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. This article presents two distinct versions of this classic recipe: a traditional Cioppino and a modern Cioppino with Squid Ink Rouille. Both recipes honor the authenticity of this iconic dish while offering unique culinary experiences.

Let's cook with our recipes!

SAN FRANCISCO CIOPPINO



San Francisco Cioppino image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h55m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
3 cups fish stock or 1 cup bottled clam broth mixed with 2 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
12 little neck clams
1 cooked Dungeness crab, chopped into large pieces, or 2 Alaskan king crab claws, cracked and quartered
12 mussels
1 pound large shrimp, butterflied in the shell, and deveined
1/2 pound cleaned squid, cut into rings, and tentacles halved
1/2 pound sea scallops, trimmed, or firm-fleshed fish, like halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
Serving suggestion: hot crusty sourdough bread

Steps:

  • Make the stew base. Heat a large stew pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Simmer the wine until reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes, peppers, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock or broths; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the base, with a cover slightly ajar, for 30 minutes. (The base may be prepared ahead up to this point, refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for 1 month).
  • Finish the Cioppino. Bring the base to a simmer. Add the basil and the clams, and cook covered, over high heat, for 5 minutes, or just until the clams open. Add the crab and cook for 1 minute. Add the mussels, shrimp, squid, and scallops. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mussels open, the shrimp curl, and squid and scallops are just firm, about 3 minutes. Serve in large heated bowls with plenty of crusty bread.

OLD-STYLE SAN FRANCISCO CRAB CIOPPINO



Old-Style San Francisco Crab Cioppino image

San Francisco Cioppino. Many have had it with the heavy red sauce and seafood. Not the best, in our opinion. This recipe was handed down from an elderly Italian lady in San Francisco in the 50's. Hehee...original recipe called for a "cheese glass" of white wine. So authentic! This recipe makes the most wonderful seafood broth, a touch spicy with loads of great seafood. We have made it for years and it is a real winner! This is a very authentic, old style, San Francisco Crab Cioppino. The recommended ingredients make enough for 6-8 hungry seafood fans. This is the kind of meal where you can sit and eat and sip wine for a few hours. You will need plenty of napkins and bibs are recommended. You will also need some crab/lobster tools to get all of the wonderful meat. Share this with people you know, who won't mind getting rather messy! Don't forget lots of toasted sourdough garlic bread. Dip it in the broth as you go. If you are a seafood fan and love a great broth, you will not be dissapointed.

Provided by Docs Mom

Categories     Crab

Time 2h

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

1 large yellow onion, chopped medium
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup tomato sauce
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 ounces white wine, Chardonnay
2 teaspoons dried sage
2/3 bunch fresh parsley, chopped medium fine
2 -4 garlic cloves, minced
4 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 lb shrimp, raw and shelled
1 lb bay scallop
1 lb sea bass, cut into1-2-inch cubes
2 dungeness crabs, cooked, cleaned & cracked (Uncooked adds a lot of flavor! cleaned, cracked)
1 lb small clam, in shell
1 lb mussels, in shell
1 large sourdough bread, sweet french bread ok, basted with
olive oil, and
fresh garlic, oven browned

Steps:

  • Using a TALL 8-10 quart pot, cover the bottom of the pot with a good virgin olive oil, about ¼ cup. Add the chopped onion, sage, garlic, parsley and celery and sauté slow and stirring often until tender, approximately 20 minutes. If it gets too dry, add a little more olive oil. Add tomato sauce and cayenne pepper. Reduce to lowest simmer and cook for approximately 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it gets too dry, add a little water.
  • Add 10-12 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Begin adding the seafood. Raw crab first (if not raw, then cooked is an ok substitute.) If you get raw crab, cleaned and chopped, it will be much better). Return to a low boil, then lower to low-medium heat for 15 minutes.
  • Then add clams and mussels. Continue to simmer 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and scallops, simmer for 10 minutes, along with a cheese glass of white wine (6 oz.) before serving. Ok if this sits on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add the fish 5-7 minutes before you are ready to serve. Any longer than that, take it off the heat and reheat gently before serving. Ladle into large bowls and have a few extra bowls on the table for shells.
  • Have plenty of garlic and olive oil basted sourdough bread, finished with shredded parmesan cheese and your favorite California Chardonay. Offer the usual complement of crab tools, crackers, pickers, etc.
  • Left-overs should be refrigerated and eaten next day or two. After eating, offer your guests a warm hand towel with fresh lemon squirted on it, with a little water, microwave on high for 30 seconds.

SAN FRANCISCO-STYLE CIOPPINO



San Francisco-Style Cioppino image

Provided by Food Network

Time 3h15m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 34

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small carrot, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small serrano chile
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/2 bottle good red wine
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
10 cups canned pureed tomatoes, about five 15-ounce cans (recommended: Di Napoli, San Marzano-style)
Fish Stock, recipe follows
3 whole Dungeness crab legs and bodies, with the crabmeat intact
18 littleneck clams, scrubbed clean
18 black mussels, bearded and scrubbed clean
1 1/2 pounds fresh sea bass or other firm fish, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
12 peeled and deveined prawns (shells reserved for stock)
1 pound fresh fish bones, plus the head if you can get it
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 bunch parsley stems
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Shells from the prawns
11 to 12 cups clam juice

Steps:

  • For the tomato base: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrots, onions, peppers, and celery, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chile, herbs, and seasonings and cook until fragrant. Add the wine, vinegar, Worcestershire, and hot sauce and reduce until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the tomatoes and all of the fish stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through a fine strainer, discarding the solids.
  • For the seafood: Place the strained liquid into a clean pot and bring to a simmer. Add the crab, clams, mussels, and sea bass, cover the pot, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the prawns and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
  • To serve: Divide the seafood into 6 large bowls and ladle the broth over top. Serve with garlic bread.
  • In a large pot, add all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain, reserving the broth and discarding the solids.

CIOPPINO OLD SAN FRANCISCO STYLE



CIOPPINO OLD SAN FRANCISCO STYLE image

Categories     Soup/Stew     Fish     Shellfish     Tomato     Easter     Dinner     Simmer

Yield 8 people

Number Of Ingredients 27

Be sure to have a very large stock pot.
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter
Seafood:
===========================
4 Dungeness Crabs (cleaned and cracked)
15 fresh Clams (cleaned)
2 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined
15 mussels (cleaned)
1/2 lb sea scallop
1/2 lb baby octopus or squid
3 cans clams with juice
1 1/2 lb snapper cut up (white fish of your choice)
Veggies and Canned Goods:
===========================
6 cloves garlic minced
1 large yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
1 jar pimentos
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (can substitute w/ San Marzano)
2 15 oz tomato sauce
1 cup fish stock (or clam juice)
1 cup white wine
2 tbsp chopped parsley
pinch of sugar
Tabasco for heat
Lisa guessed on measurements

Steps:

  • Use a large (LARGE) stock pot. Sauté onions, garlic and bell peppers in olive oil and butter. Then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, pimentos, wine, fish stock, canned clams, and parsley. Simmer for a few hours. Add remaining seafood except shrimp. Make sure that your fish is covered with broth. Keep turning the crab. Let simmer for about 45 minutes. Then add shrimp about 20 minutes before serving. At end, to taste: - Tabasco( to taste) - Pinch of sugar Note: Play with the order and proportions of the seafood to suite your taste and budget. Cooking one element longer will add to the flavor of the dish, but may over cook the flesh so be careful!

SAN FRANCISCO CIOPPINO



San Francisco Cioppino image

Looking for a seafood dinner? Then check out this cioppino recipe made using fish and vegetables that's ready in less than an hour.

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Entree

Time 50m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) no-salt-added tomato sauce
3/4 cup dry white wine or fish broth
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 small clams in the shell, washed
1 lb fresh halibut or cod, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen and tails peeled
6 oz chopped cooked crabmeat, cartilage removed
French bread slices, if desired

Steps:

  • In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onions, garlic and parsley in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are crisp-tender.
  • Stir in whole and stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, basil and pepper, breaking up tomatoes with a fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Return to boiling. Stir in clams and halibut; cover and simmer over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes or until clam shells open and fish flakes easily with a fork. Stir in shrimp; cover and simmer until shrimp are pink and firm.
  • Stir in crabmeat. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with bread to dip into broth.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 270, Carbohydrate 20 g, Cholesterol 180 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 4 g, Protein 37 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 670 mg, Sugar 11 g, TransFat 0 g

Tips:

  • Use the freshest seafood possible. This will ensure that your cioppino is packed with flavor.
  • Don't overcrowd the pot. If you add too much seafood, it will not cook evenly and will become tough.
  • Simmer the cioppino gently. Do not let it boil, as this will also toughen the seafood.
  • Add the seafood in stages. The fish and shellfish have different cooking times, so add them to the pot in order from longest to shortest cooking time.
  • Serve the cioppino immediately. This dish is best enjoyed hot and fresh out of the pot.

Conclusion:

San Francisco cioppino is a delicious and hearty seafood stew that is perfect for a cold night. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you like it spicy or mild, with a variety of seafood or just a few favorites, there is a cioppino recipe out there for everyone. So next time you are looking for a comforting and flavorful meal, give cioppino a try. You won't be disappointed!

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