Chef Ed's Seafood Cioppino Recipe

Here comes a Chef Ed coastal masterpiece — rich, brothy Seafood Cioppino, the bold Italian-American dish from San Francisco. Loaded with shellfish and simmered in a tomato-wine broth so good you’ll want to mop the bowl clean with bread.

Chef Ed’s Italian Seafood Cioppino

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Soak Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4–6 bowls of oceanic glory

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups seafood stock (or fish stock)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 lb sea scallops
1/2 lb mussels, cleaned and debearded
1/2 lb clams, scrubbed
1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb firm white fish (like cod or halibut), cut into chunks
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Build the Base:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, shallots, and garlic. Sauté 5–7 minutes until soft and fragrant.

2. Add the Flavor:

Stir in red pepper flakes, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, white wine, and seafood stock. Add bay leaf, oregano, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes to develop flavor.

3. Add the Seafood:

Add clams and mussels first. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until shells just start opening. Add shrimp, scallops, and fish. Simmer uncovered another 5–7 minutes, until shrimp are pink and fish is flaky. Discard any unopened shellfish.