Ingredients

The following ingredients have 5 Servings
  • 1 small round loaf sourdough bread
  • About ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 6 cloves crushed garlic
  • 2 curls lemon peel
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 small bulb fennel
  • quartered
  • cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 leek
  • halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 rib celery
  • thinly sliced on bias with leafy tops
  • 1 small onion
  • quartered and thinly sliced
  • 6 garlic
  • sliced or crushed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fennel pollen
  • optional
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • or ⅓ palmful
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups half a bottle dry white wine
  • or ½ cup white vermouth and 1 ½ cups wine
  • 2 cups chicken bone broth or stock or seafood stock
  • One 28-ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
  • One 24-ounce jar passata
  • or 3 cups tomato puree
  • 1 ½ pounds scrubbed mussels
  • 1 pound large shrimp
  • deveined
  • tails removed
  • 1 pound Dungeness crab or king crab leg meat
  • 1 pound halibut
  • cut into large pieces
  • 1 lemon
  • Chopped parsley
  • for garnish

Instruction

  • For croutons, heat broiler
  • Cut bread in half horizontally, then cut into 12 to 16 large chunks
  • In a small pot, warm EVOO, butter, garlic, lemon and thyme
  • Place rack in upper third oven
  • Char bread at edges under broiler, brush with garlic butter mixture and broil 1 minute more, reserve
  • For cioppino, heat the EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large, wide, stainless brassier or a wide Dutch oven or a large skillet with a lid
  • Add fennel, leeks, celery, onions, garlic, bay, salt and pepper, fennel pollen (if using), oregano and red pepper flakes, partially cover and soften 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently
  • Add vermouth and let it absorb, then wine, or add 2 cups wine, reduce 2 minutes, add broth or stock and tomatoes and passata or puree
  • Remove bay leaves
  • If you like a smoother sauce, puree with a stick blender
  • If you like a thicker sauce, leave it be
  • Add the mussels and shrimp, and cover pan to open mussels
  • Discard any that remain closed after 3 to 4 minutes
  • Add crab, add fish seasoned with salt and pepper, nest fish into the tomato broth and cook about 4 minutes more
  • Add juice of 1 lemon
  • Arrange the seafood evenly in 4 to 6 dinner plates and top with ⅔ of the broth, soak bread chunks in remaining broth, then divide among bowls
  • You can also add some of the bread to the pot and serve from the pot at table
  • Garnish with chopped parsley