Chef John's Cioppino Recipe

Directions

Combine butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
Stir in onion and celery with a pinch of salt; cook until onion is soft and golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Stir wine into onion mixture; increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
Stir in tomato puree, water, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer 35 minutes.
Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in lemon and cod, return to simmer, about 2 minutes.
Stir in crab, shrimp, and mussels. Cover and simmer until all mussels are cooked and open, about 5 minutes.
Stir in fresh parsley and basil; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reviews (7)

rustbkt

Oct. 26, 2012

"I made the broth exactly as directed except I forgot the bay leaf. I added the seafood that is available in Baltimore in October..... little neck clams, snow crabs, grouper, mussels and bay scallops...." See more It was very simple but very elegant and tasted like a high priced restaurant cioppino!!! The lemon is a must but a couple of slices goes a long way. I did add some chili oil in addition to the red pepper flakes to wake it up. I have made many cioppino recipes and this was my favorite by far! Crusty sourdough bread is required by law."

RRRichmond

Aug. 12, 2012

"This may be the single best recipe on Allrecipes.com. It is flawless in its simplicity and as natural in its ingredients as any on this site. The recipe is easily adaptable to your personal taste or ..." See moreto moderate variation of ingredients. I served it in a bowl with a variety of warmed breads and Irish butter. On the side I served Spicy Eggplant over seasoned white rice. The scent of the garlic and Chardonnay rich Cioppino filled the house and I prepped my guests with Starry Night Zinfandel and butter crackers with lobster, red caviar and garnishes. This is a wonderful recipe for a husband-wife or couple to prepare together."

Cindy in Pensacola

Jan. 10, 2013

"This is one of the best recipes here on AR. Chef John, you hit the nail on the head with this one. I followed the recipe exactly beside cutting the recipe in 1/2 for the 2 of us. I used about 1 1/4..." See more lbs of fresh shrimp, 1 large claw of large snow crab, 1/2 lb mussels, and 1/2 lb cod filet, all fresh from Joe Patti's here in Pensacola, FL. We didn't care for the cod fish so when I make it again I'll leave that out and use all mussels, shrimp and crab. It's not cheap but it's truly a treat to be savored more than once in a lifetime. I had this back when I was a teenager and loved it then but just never seemed to have the nerve to make it myself. I am sooo very glad to have found this recipe. I had some fresh french bread for dipping in that lucious sauce. I can't wait to make it again. Thank you again Chef John for a wonderful recipe."

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