
Italian-American seafood stew with tomato and wine
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
40 min
Total Time
1 hr 5 min
Servings
6
8 cups
Difficulty
Medium
Cost
Premium
$$$
Italian-American seafood stew with tomato and wine
A hearty tomato-based seafood stew loaded with clams, mussels, shrimp, and fish in a garlic-wine broth. Born in San Francisco's Italian fishing community, this is the ultimate seafood celebration.
25m
Prep Time
40m
Cook Time
65m
Total Time
6
Servings
Medium
Difficulty
Premium $$$
Cost
(Updated )
Cioppino was created by Italian fishermen on the San Francisco wharf, using the day's catch in a communal stew pot. Today it remains one of America's greatest seafood dishes.
Sauté diced fennel, onion, and garlic in olive oil until softened, then add red pepper flakes and tomato paste.
Pour in white wine and simmer 3 minutes, then add crushed tomatoes, fish stock, and bay leaves and simmer 20 minutes.
Add clams first and cook 5 minutes covered, then add mussels and fish and cook 4 minutes more.
Add shrimp on top and cook 3 minutes until pink, discarding any unopened shellfish.
Ladle into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, scatter fresh parsley, and serve with crusty sourdough.
Serve with crusty artisan bread for dipping
Finish with a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil
Pair with a simple arugula salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette
Smaller clams cook faster, so add them later
Fennel seeds add the anise flavor without the bulb
Test Kitchen Pick
Olive Oil
Helpful Pantry Staple
On recipes like this, olive oil is not just a background fat. A better bottle gives you cleaner flavor and a better finish.
This is one of the few pantry upgrades that keeps paying off every time you cook in this lane.
A good bottle of olive oil is one of the safest pantry upgrades for Mediterranean and Italian cooking.
Shop olive oil for this recipeAdd seafood in stages from longest-cooking to quickest so nothing is overdone.
Serve with an empty bowl on the table for shells—this is a hands-on eating experience.
Refrigerate for up to 1 day. Seafood stews are best eaten fresh.
Reheat very gently over low heat to avoid overcooking the seafood.
Per serving (165mg) · 6 servings
A moderate-calorie serving · based on a 2,000 cal daily diet
Nutritional values are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and preparation methods.
Sarah Chen is a professional recipe developer and food editor with over a decade of experience in test kitchens and food media. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America before spending six years developing and testing recipes for national food publications, where she honed her ability to translate restaurant techniques into approachable home cooking. At RecipePool, Sarah leads recipe development, ensuring every dish is tested at least three times for clarity, accuracy, and genuine deliciousness. When she is not in the kitchen, she is browsing farmers markets and collecting vintage cookbooks.
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