Cioppino

As I mentioned in my last post, I have lived in D.C. for nearly seven years now. Seven years is not a short amount of time. You can do a lot of things in seven years. That’s 364 weekends! And yet, somehow, it took me almost all that time to get myself down to the Maine Avenue Fish Market. Which, fun fact, is the oldest fish market in the U.S.!

This place, friends. It has every kind of seafood you can think of, plus at least 17 other kinds you never knew existed. I felt like a very weird kid in a very weird candy store. For a brief moment I found myself wishing I had a million children and could buy all of the fish because I had so many mouths to feed instead of just my boyfriend and I. (And then a kid near me had a meltdown, the feeling fled as quickly as it’d come on, and I limited myself to only buying about twice as much fish as I could really justify.)

I have to confess, when I first got it into my head that I wanted to make cioppino, I thought it was straight outta Italy. I had visions of cueing up “The Godfather” and going full Italian theme night, as I am wont to do. But! Turns out cioppino’s roots are a little (lot) closer to home. Cioppino’s origin is in San Francisco, where at the end of the day, Italian immigrant fishermen would toss bits and bobs of the day’s catch into a pot and make themselves a stew.

The beauty of cioppino’s roots as an stew with an ever-changing roster of star players is that you can can put in whatever seafood your little heart (or picky dinner guests) desire.   Into mine went shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and a single, solitary squid.

I cannot say I was thrilled when I googled “how to prepare squid” and discovered that the first step was “grasp the head and tentacles in one hand, the tail in the other, and pull them apart.” But. But! I was very pleased to have conquered my initial squeamishness, and while I can’t say the squid was my favorite part of the stew (hi tiger shrimp, I see you baby), I was much more enthusiastic about the calamari I made with the rest of the squid the next day. Long live fried seafood!

Cioppino is quite simple to make, and the broth is just delightful and begs to be sopped up with some crusty bread. (Seriously, I used some leftover broth the next day to make a soup about which I am just over the moon– that’s coming soon!) It’s not super heavy, so you certainly could make it well into warmer weather, but it was just I needed during this phase of the winter, when no matter what Punxsutawney Phil says it seems like winter will just NEVER end.

And in case you’re wondering (you aren’t, but I’m writing this blog and you’re not, so you’re gonna get the answer to this non-question anyway), we wound up watching The Rock (the movie, not the Dwayne). Chosen, of course, because it’s set in San Francisco. Your girl loves a theme!

Cioppino

• 1 T. Fennel Seeds
• 3 T. Olive Oil
• 1 Fennel Bulb, white parts only, chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 T. Tomato Paste
• 1 T. dried Oregano
• 1 t. Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 28-oz. can Whole Tomatoes
• 1 1/2 c. dry White Wine
• 4 c. Stock (Fish or Chicken)
• 1 T. Fish Sauce
• 1 T. Salt
• 1 T. Pepper
• 1 lb. Scallops
• 1 lb. Shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1/2 lb. Mussels, cleaned (soak in cold water for 30 minutes to expel any sand in their shells, then scrub)
• 1 dozen Clams, cleaned (soak in cold water for 30 minutes to expel any sand in their shells, then scrub)
• 2 Squid, cleaned and sliced (to quote my recipe notes, “if you’re brave and fun”)

Toast fennel seeds for a few minutes in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant; grind finely and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add fennel bulb and onion. Cook until translucent, then add garlic and cook another minute. Add fennel, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Add tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened, 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing with your hands as they go into the pot. Add wine and stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to get up anything that stuck during previous cooking. Add fish sauce, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering for at least 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to add the seafood, start with the clams (they take the longest). Cover and cook for a few minutes, then add the mussels. Cook, covered, for 2 more minutes, then add scallops. After a few more minutes, add the shrimp and the squid. Cook just until all seafood is cooked (this should only be a few minutes more). Season to taste before serving with crusty bread and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.