Add this amazing recipe to your repertoire and impress your friends; great for a dinner party!!!
This is very similar to the French version, bouillabaisse, only this doesn’t have saffron and the base is tomato. Staying true to Harris’ Italian roots was his goal when creating this dish.
The star ingredient is the calamari! If you’ve not cooked calamari before now, don’t be afraid. Most fear cooking calamari any way other than breaded and deep-fried but fear not. You will be surprised how tender and flavorful it is in this dish. If you watch our video, you will also see how much liquid is released from the calamari as it simmers. While I do believe in substitutions, we strongly recommend not replacing the star ingredient; you’re going to love it!!!
We recommend serving with garlic rubbed crostinis or a rustic bread as you’ll definitely want something to soak up the delicious broth while eating the shell fish!
Enjoy!!!
(Sorry, there wasn’t a photo of this dish once plated. with everyone sitting at the table waiting to be served we got distracted!!)
Here in the video, Harris demonstrates how to cook our very special Cioppino! See below for the recipe!
Cioppino
(Tomato based Seafood Stew)
This recipe will serve 8 or possibly 10
Ingredients:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb – chopped fine
- 1 large white onion – chopped fine
- 3 ribs celery – chopped fine
- 1 ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pound fresh squid, tentacles cut in thirds, bodies cut into ½ inch rings
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 1 26 ounce carton (Pomi) fresh tomato, strained
- 2 lemons (zest only) – 1 peeled in strips and 1 finely grated
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 bottles clam juice (2 cups)
- 2 lbs. fresh mussels
- 2 lbs. Cherry Stone clams
- 1 lb. Rock fish, skinned and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
The dish requires a very large Dutch oven or clam pot.
Place fresh clams and mussels in a large bowl of very cold water with ice to flush out any sand in the shells. Before adding clams and mussels inspect to be certain all are tightly closed. If any of the shells are open or cracked, discard, as they are dead and not edible. Also trim beard of mussels if needed.
Directions:
- Place Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add the fennel, onion, celery, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season with Kosher salt to sweat the onions. Cook until translucent, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add squid. Cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The squid will release their juices, which is amazing and will become very tender.
- Raise heat to medium-high and add white wine. Cook until reduced, about 20 minutes.
- Reduced heat to low and add tomato and lemon strips and cook until very thick, about 45 minutes. Remove lemon strips, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Raise heat to medium-high, add water and clam juice and bring to boil. Add clams, mussels, and shrimp, cover and cook until most of the shells have opened, about 5 minutes. Add rock fish and cook another 2 minutes until the fish is opaque.
- In a small bowl, combine chopped parsley and grated lemon to make Gremolata.
- Serve in individual large bowls, placing seafood in the bottom of bowl, ladling over the seafood the broth. Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve.
Love this recipe? Follow us and share it with your friends! Let us know how it came out and send us some pictures! Questions? Ask The Dads in the comments or e-mail: HarrisandDave@gmail.com
Enjoy!!!
