Name: Shellfish Cioppino
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion ((finely chopped)); 1 large leek ((white and light-green parts only, sliced thin)); 3 ribs celery ((finely chopped)); 2 bay leaves; 1/2 teaspoon finely ground real salt; 1 medium red bell pepper ((seeded and chopped)); 1 medium green bell pepper ((seeded and chopped)); 5 cloves garlic ((chopped)); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon dried rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper; 1 cup white wine; 4 cups fish stock; 8 oz clam juice; 48 oz diced tomatoes; 7 oz tomato paste; 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce; 1 1/2 pounds crab legs; 1 pound shrimp ((deveined)); 1 pound clams; 2 pounds scallops; parsley ((to serve)); lemon wedges ((to serve))

Brimming with shrimp, clams, and crab, this shellfish cioppino is deeply nourishing. Robust tomatoes and fresh herbs fill out the soup, while lemon gives it a hint of brightness.

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Spicy, robust, tomato-rich shellfish cioppino. #nourishedkitchen #nutrientsyoufools

You want a bowl of this spicy, tomato-rich Shellfish Cioppino, seriously.

History of Cioppino

Cioppino is an Italian-American seafood stew originating in San Francisco in the 1800s. Fishermen took what they had left from the day’s catch and tossed it in a communal stew pot. The tomato base has its influences in the traditional Genoese fish stew called burrida as well as the Provençal fish stew bouillabaisse.

It was one of those dishes that was different every time it was made. And that’s typically how I made my version, on the fly, without a recipe and with whatever I fancied. Sometimes I’d go heavy on the Mediterranean influences and add saffron and fennel. Or I’d get fancy and roast a bunch of vegetables first. Other times I’d keep the broth thin and delicate with basil. Hey, I was keeping with the spirit of the original fishermen!

It was that constant experimentation that led me to recipe you have before you. When I got here, I stopped tweaking. I scribbled my notes in my stained kitchen notebook and didn’t look back. To this day, I’m not even tempted to mess with it, which is rare for me. The broth is perfectly heavenly. It’s heavy on the aromatic vegetables and thick with tangy sweet tomatoes.

In fact, I include three different tomato products and I’m not shy with them at all. I also prefer to keep my cioppino all shellfish. While I love fish in stews, there is something so indulgent about a shellfish medley. I love the extra flavor their shells and juices add to the broth. It doesn’t hurt that shellfish are some of the most nutrient dense foods we have available — high in minerals like selenium, which is needed for optimal thyroid function, and the immune system booster zinc, just to mention a few.

My secret ingredient is a brief sprinkle of fish sauce. It’s actually not that far fetched as Asian fish sauce is salted and fermented anchovies. And, as you may know, anchovies are kind of a big deal in Italian cooking. In fact, if you are lucky enough to have any Italian markets near you, you will be able to find bottles of anchovy juice. So if you prefer you can use that, or just smash up a single anchovy and add it to the sauce. Either way, you adding a dose of flavorful umami that enhances and deepens every single flavor in the dish. I recommend you give it a try it in this dish as well as your other Italian dishes.

Shellfish: Rich in Nutrients and in Flavor

Shellfish is particularly rich in nourishment, and is among the richest sources of B vitamins, minerals and vitamin D available to us. It is also a good source of iodine. In Dr. Price’s landmark book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, he describes how shellfish play a critical role in the traditional diets of ocean-going peoples all across the world.

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