Welcome to Plan n Cook — plan meals, shop once, cook with less stress.

Plan n Cook
login
kitchen
Home kitchen plans

Cioppino

  1. Home
  2. Recipes
  3. Cioppino

Cioppino

Cuisine:Italian

Course:Soup

30m prep 20m cook 50m ready

4 to 6 servings A classic fisherman’s stew from San Francisco. For the yield listed, choose clams or mussels, not both. If Dungeness crabs are not available, blue crabs or lobsters may be substituted. If the crabs are already cooked, clean them, crack open the claws and legs as directed, and add with the clams. You may also substitute 12 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage (just add the crabmeat and heat it through before adding the herbs and lemon juice).

Add to Meal Plan

Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 2 live Dungeness crabs (about 4 pounds)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • (1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced)
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 dried red chiles or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped or crushed
  • 1
    • Shells from 2 pounds shrimp, or 2 picked crab or lobster carcasses, organs and gills removed
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 1 small unpeeled onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
    • 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 ½ teaspoons lightly crushed black peppercorns
    • (Splash of Pernod or ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds)
    • Cold water to cover
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Have ready: Shells from 2 pounds shrimp, or 2 picked crab or lobster carcasses, organs and gills removed
    2. Rinse the shells or carcasses and drain well. Wrap larger crab and lobster shells in a kitchen towel and smash them into small pieces with a rolling pin or the spine of a large knife. Heat in a stockpot over medium-high heat: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    3. Add the shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until their color brightens and they become aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes. Add: 1 small unpeeled onion, thinly sliced; 1 small carrot, thinly sliced; 1 celery rib, thinly sliced; 1 bay leaf; 1 ½ teaspoons lightly crushed black peppercorns; (Splash of Pernod or ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds)
    4. Add: Cold water to cover
    5. Bring almost to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer gently, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Strain well. Let cool uncovered, then refrigerate covered. Use within 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
  • 1 ½ cups dry white wine
  • 2 wide strips lemon zest
  • (16 small hard-shell clams, scrubbed)
  • 1 pound firm white fish fillets (halibut, rockfish, or cod), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • (16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • Lemon juice to taste
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1
    • 2 baguettes, about 3 inches in diameter and 16 inches long
    • Extra-virgin olive oil
    • Salt and black pepper
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut crosswise into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices: 2 baguettes, about 3 inches in diameter and 16 inches long
    2. Place the slices on baking sheets and lightly brush one side of each slice with: Extra-virgin olive oil
    3. Bake until lightly browned and toasted, 6 to 10 minutes. Rotate the pans front to back halfway through baking to ensure even toasting. Season to taste with: Salt and black pepper
    4. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Kill: 2 live Dungeness crabs (about 4 pounds)

  2. Step 2.

    Crack the claws once or twice to expose the meat. Remove and discard the top shell, gills, and viscera, and cut the body into 4 pieces. Set aside. Add to a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat: 3 tablespoons olive oil; (1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced); 6 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 dried red chiles or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  3. Step 3.

    Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the crab pieces along with: One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped or crushed; 3 cups Shrimp or Shellfish Stock, Poultry Stock, or 2 cups water and one 8-ounce bottle clam juice; 1 ½ cups dry white wine; 2 wide strips lemon zest

  4. Step 4.

    Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add to the pot if using: (16 small hard-shell clams, scrubbed)

  5. Step 5.

    Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add: 1 pound firm white fish fillets (halibut, rockfish, or cod), cut into 1-inch cubes; (16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded)

  6. Step 6.

    Cover and cook until any shellfish have opened, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. If desired, you may pick the meat from the crab, or provide lobster or crab crackers (along with plenty of napkins) for diners at the table. Divide the seafood among soup bowls. Stir into the broth: 2 tablespoons chopped basil; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; Lemon juice to taste; Salt and black pepper to taste

  7. Step 7.

    Ladle the broth over the seafood. Serve with a bowl to collect shells and: Hunks of warmed French bread or Crostini

Ratings & reviews

Have you made this? Take a moment and let us know what you think. Sign in to leave a rating.

Get weekly meal ideas

Fresh recipes and planning tips from Plan n Cook.

Plan a week

Drop recipes onto breakfast, lunch, and dinner for every day.

One grocery list

Ingredients combined and scaled to your household servings.

Cook from recipes

Browse the library and public kitchens when you need inspiration.

Keep your kitchen

Save favorites, pantry items, and meal plans in one place.