Cioppino

Cioppino is an Italian-American fish stew that originated from San Francisco. It typically has a plethora of seafood in it: crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels, and fish. On a random whim to check out DC's Eastern Market after work one day, I bought 2 fresh cod fillets and shell-less clams and made this version of cioppino. My version only has fish, clams, shrimp, and crabmeat. A lot more affordable than the original version!

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 cans stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz each)
- 2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups white wine

Seafood:
- 1 1/2 lb peeled shrimp
- 10 oz. chopped clams
- 1 1/2 cup crab meat
- 1 1/2 lb cod fillets, cubed

Makes: 12-14 servings (we had leftovers for days!)

Additional notes about the ingredients I used:
- For the white wine, I used Sutter Home sauvignon blanc
- For the crab meat, I used Phillips premium lump crab meat
- For the clams, I cut them into smaller pieces using scissors. Makes it much faster than using a knife.  You can used clams with the shells as well (just need to wait until they open).

1. Over medium-low heat, melt the butter

 2. Once butter is melted, add onions, garlic, and parsley.

 3. Once the onions have softened, add the stewed tomatoes and break them into smaller chunks.

 4. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, dried basil, dried thyme, dried oregano, water, and wine

Mix, cover, and simmer for 30 min.

 5. Stir in the shrimp, clams, fish, and crabmeat

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve with warm bread and enjoy!
Sprinkle some hot pepper flakes if you'd like some spiciness!