Cioppino

Cioppino is a popular Italian seafood stew that was believed to have originated in San Francicso
during the "gold rush". It is common to have "cioppino feeds" throughout the Italian community in California. If you don't have some of the items, you can substitute with any other seafood
item.

½ pound scallops
1 pound squid, cleaned and cut up
1 pound fresh shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 whole dungeness crabs (cracked & cleaned)
2 pounds clams
1 pound red snapper, sea bass, or halibut
1 #2½ (36 oz.) can crushed pear shape
tomatoes or whole tomatoes
1 can (14 oz.) clear chicken broth
3 oz. dry vermouth
½ cube butter or margarine (optional)
8 oz. hot water
3 oz. oil (olive, corn, or vegetable)
2 medium onions
1 small carrot
5 sprigs parsley
1 kernel of garlic
1 round teaspoon Italian herbs
1 round teaspoon salt
4 dashes ground black pepper
2 bay leaves, broken
1 or 2 whole red chilies

Soak and scrub clams, let soak in water until ready to use. Mince onions, carrot, parsley, and
garlic. Brown slowly in heated oil in a 6 quart pot. Stir often. Cut red snapper, sea bass, or
halibut in pieces about 1 inch wide. Add fish to sautéed items, cook for 5 minutes. Stir. To
this mixture add crushed or chopped tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes; add canned broth, hot
water, and bay leaves. Keep heat high enough to keep mixture bubbling and stir. After 10
minutes add clams and vermouth; cook 5 minutes. Add crab, stir and cook another 5 minutes.
Add salt, all remaining spices, and shrimp, scallops, and squid. Let cook for 10 more minutes
and now we are ready to serve on toasted sour dough French bread or plain broiled rice: at this
point add butter to the sauce, if desired.

Points you should remember: Cioppino may be prepared early in the day and reheated for
dinner; this improves the flavor. Sauce can be used for dressing of spaghetti also. Careful
with the shells. Spicing is always a matter of taste--taste first and add spices you prefer. If too
thin, use cornstarch (a little) to thicken. Use cuisenart to cut up veggies, garlic, and tomato.
Cioppino should be somewhat piquant. Serve Cioppino hot from the pot and it should be
kept warm during the meal. A tossed green salad and red wine completes the meal. Serves 5.