Cioppino with Lobster
Cioppino with Lobster
Cioppino is a hearty West Coast seafood stew that typically features shrimp and Dungeness Crab. My Maine version uses Jonah Crab Claws and lobster – ‘cause that’s where I roam!
Recipe provided by
Ingredients
- 1 pound of Jonah crab claws, cooked and crowned by your fishmongerShop
- 1 pound pounds flaky white fish, skin off, cut into pieces
- 1 dozen littleneck clams
- 1 pound mussels, cleaned and beards removed
- 1/2 pound of frozen Maine Lobster meat, thawed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 strips bacon, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 fennel bulbs, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice or 3 cups Basic Fish Stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup chopped herbs, such as basil or parsley
- Toasted bread rubbed with garlic, for serving
- Serves:
Directions
Heat the olive oil and bacon in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp. Add the onion and fennel to the pan. Cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, oregano, and chile flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste has darkened in color and its aroma has softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer until the alcohol smell dissipates. Add the crushed tomatoes, clam juice or fish stock, and bay leaf and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the crab claws and season with salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture rest for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
Return the pot to a simmer. Lightly season the fish with salt and set it aside. Add the clams and mussels to the pan. Cover the pan and cook until the shellfish open. Add the fish.
Let the mixture simmer gently until the fish and lobster meat are just heated through. Discard any clams and mussels that do not open. Stir in the herbs. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10-20 minutes. Serve the soup with toasted bread rubbed with garlic.