Cioppino Recipe (San Francisco Seafood Stew)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Simmer onion, fennel and garlic in olive oil, add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, white wine and seafood stock, and cook 20 minutes into a rich broth. Add firm fish first, then shrimp, mussels and crab, cover and steam 5 to 7 minutes until the shells open, and serve in wide bowls with grilled sourdough.
Cioppino Recipe the San Francisco way is a fisherman stew that tastes like the docks: a rich tomato and wine broth, firm fish that holds together, and shellfish steamed open right in the pot. One pot, forty minutes, and a loaf of grilled sourdough to chase every drop.
Why you’ll love it
- One pot, forty minutes, from onion to table.
- A rich tomato and wine broth that tastes like hours of work.
- Fish, shrimp, mussels and crab in every bowl.
- Grilled sourdough on the side for the broth.
- Special enough for guests, easy enough for a weeknight.
Ingredient notes
Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes: the broth base. Tomato paste cooked until it darkens gives depth, while crushed tomatoes give the body. A short simmer tastes like canned tomatoes, while twenty minutes tastes rich.
White wine: the brightness. A cup of dry white wine lifts the whole pot, and the same bottle makes a fine glass to serve with it.
Fennel: the San Francisco note. Thinly sliced and cooked soft, it gives the broth a gentle anise warmth that marks a real cioppino.
Firm white fish: the anchor. Cod or halibut cut into chunks holds together in the stew, while delicate fish falls apart.
Shellfish: the finish. Shrimp, mussels and crab go in last and steam open in minutes, and each bowl should get some of each.
The fish first rule that makes or breaks it
One rule decides whether this stew has intact chunks and clear broth or broken fish and a cloudy pot, and it is the order. Fish goes in first, because it needs the longest gentle cook, and shellfish goes in last, because shrimp and mussels finish in minutes. Add everything at once and the fish breaks apart while the shellfish waits. The second rule is the simmer. Twenty minutes for the broth makes it taste deep and rich, while ten minutes tastes like canned tomatoes. Stir once, slowly, after the fish goes in, and then leave it alone. Serve in wide, warm bowls with grilled sourdough, and throw away any mussels that stay closed.
Variations
- Clam cioppino: swap the mussels for clams and give them 8 minutes under the lid.
- Spicy cioppino: double the red pepper flakes and add a chopped jalapeno with the onion.
- White cioppino: skip the tomatoes and use extra stock and wine for a pale, brothy version.
- Crab only cioppino: skip the mussels and shrimp and use a full pound of crab legs for a crab feast.
What we learned testing it
- Adding the fish first beat adding everything at once clearly in the side by side test. The fish first batch had intact chunks and clear broth, while the all at once batch had broken fish and a cloudy pot.
- A 20 minute simmer beat a 10 minute simmer for the broth. The longer simmer tasted deep and rich, while the short simmer tasted like canned tomatoes.
- Sourdough beat plain bread for serving. The grilled sourdough held up to the broth without falling apart, while plain bread turned to mush in the bowl.
Read how we test recipes.
Cioppino Recipe (San Francisco Seafood Stew)
Makes 1 large pot, about 6 servings · 1 hr 5 min total · Medium
Ingredients
Equipment
Large Dutch oven or stockpot · Wooden spoon · Ladle
Instructions
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Build the tomato and wine broth
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the onion and fennel until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more, then stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens a shade. Pour in the wine, crushed tomatoes, stock and bay leaf, and simmer gently for 20 minutes into a rich, fragrant broth.
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Add the firm fish
Add the chunks of firm white fish to the simmering broth and cook for 3 minutes. Fish goes in first because it needs the longest, and it holds together best when it cooks gently without being stirred. Give the pot one slow stir only, then leave the fish alone.
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Add the shellfish and steam
Add the shrimp, mussels and crab to the pot, nestling them into the broth, then cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. The shrimp will turn pink and curl, and the mussels will open. Throw away any mussels that stay closed after 7 minutes, since they were not good to begin with.
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Serve with grilled sourdough
Fish out the bay leaf, taste the broth and adjust the salt. Ladle the cioppino into wide, warm bowls, making sure each bowl gets fish, shrimp, mussels and crab, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with thick slices of grilled sourdough on the side, for soaking up the broth.
Notes
- Fish goes in first, shellfish goes in last. Fish needs the longest gentle cook, while shrimp and mussels finish in minutes.
- Throw away any mussels that stay closed after 7 minutes. A closed mussel was not good to begin with, and it is not worth the risk.
- Do not stir hard once the fish is in. Firm fish breaks apart with rough stirring, and the stew turns cloudy.
- Grill the sourdough while the shellfish steams. The bread is part of the dish, for soaking up the broth.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Mussels
- Use clams instead, scrubbed well. Clams take a minute or two longer to open, so give them 8 minutes under the lid.
- White wine
- Use the same amount of seafood stock with a squeeze of lemon instead. The broth will be a little less bright, but it still tastes rich.
- Cod or halibut
- Use any firm white fish, such as sea bass or monkfish, instead. Avoid delicate fish like sole, which falls apart in a stew.
Storage and make-ahead
Store leftover cioppino in the fridge for up to 1 day, with the shellfish removed from the shells. Reheat gently on the stove until just simmering, and do not boil it again, since the fish turns tough. Do not freeze cioppino, since the shellfish texture suffers.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a cioppino recipe?
A San Francisco seafood stew with a tomato and white wine broth, loaded with firm white fish, shrimp, mussels and crab, and served with grilled sourdough for dipping. It comes from Italian fishermen on the San Francisco docks.
How long do you cook cioppino?
Simmer the broth for 20 minutes first, then add the firm fish for 3 minutes, then the shellfish for 5 to 7 minutes under a lid. The whole stew takes about 40 minutes from the first onion to the table.
What fish is best for cioppino?
A firm white fish like cod, halibut, sea bass or monkfish, cut into chunks. Firm fish holds together in the stew, while delicate fish like sole falls apart.
What do you serve with cioppino?
Grilled sourdough bread, for soaking up the broth. A green salad and a glass of the same white wine you cooked with make the meal complete.
Can I make cioppino ahead of time?
Make the broth a day ahead and keep it in the fridge, then bring it to a simmer and add the fish and shellfish just before serving. Seafood cooked ahead turns tough when reheated.
