Cioppino

There are several urban legends around the Bay Area about who started this dish in San Francisco. According to an article on the web, it is a Genoese word for fish stew. Regardless it is a tasty recipe.

Cioppino sauce is available in most groceries in Northern California. If you don't have access to this sauce, try using tomato basil sauce. However, use more wine or add water to thin it out a little. Cioppino sauce is not as thick as spaghetti sauce.

This recipe serves about six people. Maybe a little left over.

NOTE: I like things spicy. I sometimes add a tablespoon of Zatarain's Creole Seasoning and little Tabasco.

Ingredients

• 2 - 32 oz. jars of cioppino sauce
• 1 - bottle of dry white wine
• 1 - lb of white fish (halibut, sea bass or cod)
• 1 - lb of shrimp ( I like 25-30 count.)
• 1 - lb medium scallops
• 20 to 30 - manila clams
• 1 - tbsp Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic
• 2 - pinches of anise
• 1 - tsp black pepper
• salt (to taste)
•  

Instructions

1. Add cioppino sauce to a large pot.
2. Heat until just barely boiling.
3. Add wine, seafood seasoning, anise, salt and pepper.
4. When sauce is heated up again, add fish shrimp and scallops.
5. If I have it around, I also add a pound of crab meat at this point.
6. When just about boiling again, add clams.
7. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Goes great with french garlic toast.