Italian-American · Soups & Salads
Cioppino with Dungeness Crab and Sourdough
Serves 4 · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 45 minutes · Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Bring the whole pot of cioppino to the table with toasted sourdough and let everyone help themselves. Put out a bowl for the empty shells, too. There’s no tidy way to eat crab and clams in tomato broth!
Ingredients
For the tomato broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or ¼ teaspoon for less heat
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups seafood stock, plus more as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the seafood
- 1 pound live littleneck or Manila clams
- 1 pound live mussels
- 8 ounces skinless cod or halibut, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 8 ounces large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 ounces cooked Dungeness crabmeat, checked for shell fragments
For serving
- 4 thick slices sourdough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- 1
Clean the seafood
Scrub the clams and mussels under cold running water. Pull the beards from the mussels.
Discard cracked shells and any open clams or mussels that do not close when tapped. Keep the seafood refrigerated while you prepare the broth.
- 2
Soften the onion and fennel
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel softens. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and stir for 30 seconds.
- 3
Build the broth
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the wine, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom.
Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle bubble and cook uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.
Taste before adding more salt. The shellfish will release salty liquid into the broth later.
- 4
Toast the sourdough
While the broth simmers, brush the bread with olive oil. Toast it in a 425°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until the edges brown.
Rub each warm slice with the cut side of the garlic clove.
- 5
Cook the clams and mussels
Bring the broth to a steady simmer. Add the clams, cover the pot, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the mussels and cover again. Begin checking after another 3 minutes. Transfer opened shellfish to a bowl with tongs, giving the remaining shells a few more minutes.
Discard any that stay closed after cooking. FDA shellfish guidance
- 6
Add the fish and shrimp
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Slip the fish and shrimp into the broth and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on their size.
The shrimp will turn opaque. Check that the fish reaches 145°F in its thickest part and separates easily with a fork. Avoid stirring the pot vigorously as the fish cooks. Seafood cooking guidance
- 7
Warm the crab and serve
Return the clams and mussels to the pot with their collected juices. Add the cooked crab and warm it through for about 2 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper.
Divide the seafood among four bowls and ladle the broth over it. Scatter with parsley and serve with sourdough and lemon wedges.
Use a wide pot with a lid
A 6- to 7-quart Dutch oven or heavy stainless-steel pot gives the shells room to open. Keep tongs beside the stove for lifting them out.
If the clams and mussels pile up tightly, cook them in two batches. Trying to stir through a crowded pot can crush the fish later.
Shortcuts and substitutions
No Dungeness crab: Use another cooked lump crabmeat. You can also replace it with 8 ounces of additional raw fish or shrimp, adding those in step 6.
Only clams or mussels: Use 2 pounds of whichever you find. Clams may take longer to open, so check the pot rather than relying entirely on the timer.
Frozen fish and shrimp: Thaw them in the refrigerator before cooking. Pat away excess moisture and use the same amounts.
No seafood stock: Combine 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth with 1 cup bottled clam juice. Wait until the shellfish finish cooking before adding more salt.
No wine: Replace it with ¾ cup additional stock. Taste the finished broth with a squeeze of lemon.
No fennel: Use 2 celery stalks and another ½ onion.
Can I make cioppino ahead?
Make the tomato broth up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it. Bring it back to a simmer before adding the seafood.
You can also freeze the broth on its own for up to 3 months. Cook the seafood when you plan to serve it.
Why did my fish fall apart?
Small pieces and a hard boil can break up delicate fish. Cut thick fillets into generous chunks and lower the heat before adding them.
Once the fish goes in, gently shake the pot or spoon broth over the pieces.
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