cioppino seafood stew

i love seafood, especially when it's served raw (sushi, ceviche, poke) or in velvety stews (cioppino, bouillabaisse, chilpachole).  since it's still super cold everywhere else in the country, i thought i would share another cold-weather recipe this week (and one of my personal faves), my amazingly delicious cioppino.  although purchasing all the ingredients might be a bit pricey, trust me, this recipe is well worth it!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup butter

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 2 shallots, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

- 1 bunch fresh flat parsley, chopped

- 1 small bunch basil, chopped

- 1 32oz can diced or crushed tomatoes in juice

- 4 cups of organic chicken broth (a box)

- 2 cups dry white wine

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 pound clams, scrubbed

- 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded

- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 1 1/2 pounds scallops

- 2 pounds cod, sea bass or halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes

- 1 sourdough baguette, cut into thick slices and toasted

- s&p

directions:

- melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat

- add onion and shallots. saute slowly, stirring until both are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes

- add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir gently for 3 minutes

- add parsley, basil, can of tomatoes with juice, chicken stock, white wine and bay leaves; stir well

- cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes

- add clams and mussels, and cook for 5 minutes until they slightly open

- then gently stir in shrimp, scallops and fish; cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until shrimp and fish are just cooked through (shrimp should be pale pink; fish should be slightly firm)

- remove bay leaves and any clams or mussels that have not opened yet (just in case!)

- season with some s&p, ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy with some toasted sourdough bread

xoxo, 

kara