Legend has it that the Portuguese and Italian fisherman who worked along the coast of San Fran­cisco, California in the late 1800s came together at the end of the day to create supper made from their unsold seafood. The humble stew was named ‘cioppino’ after an Italian soup of the same name.

These days, a bowl of cioppino comes with the expectation of abundant seafood in a rich tomato-based broth served with a side of crostini, sourdough bread or baguette. Most varieties of fish or shellfish can be added to this dish – Dungeness crab is a classic and black mussel are one of my favorites.

Black mussels, as opposed to green lipped mussels, add big flavor and presence to cioppino. In the U.S. mussels are cultivated, along with clams, oysters and other varieties of seafood. Black mussels rate high on the flavor meter for me with an extra point given for affordability. You can purchase them live by the bag or frozen. My preference is for live by the bag.

Storage tips

In general, live mollusks that can fully close their shell, can be stored for up to a week in ideal conditions. The one exception is mussels, they have a shelf life of 3-4 days max. Store these fruits of the sea in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth to keep them moist. When ready to cook, remove the beards, give them a quick rinse in cold water toss them in as needed. Once the mussels open, they are ready to eat. All they need is 3-4 minutes, take care not to overcook or you will have rubbery mussels on your hand.

The flavor of black mussels is enticing. If you are new to this shellfish, you can look forward to their tender texture and briny, slightly sweet flavor. They take on flavor well and are ideal for curries, stews, pasta dishes or simply steamed with butter, wine and garlic. Similar to wine, shellfish have a particular merroir, and take on the flavor of the sea from which they were harvested. This is why you should take note of where your seafood comes from and take care to avoid fishing in contaminated water. I’m passionate about this topic and talk about it at length in my book Going Coastal and in many TV interviews.

My cioppino recipe is geared toward customization, so have fun and add your favorite seafood. I once catered a party and was asked to make a special pot that included sausage. Do your thing!

Ingredients

(Serves 6)

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 large brown onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1½ cups dry white wine (or water, if preferred)
• 1-14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 5 cups fish stock (or vegetable broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon honey
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound littleneck clams, sorted and purged
• 2-pound black mussels, debearded
• 1 pound cod, pollock or halibut fillets, or other firm white fish, cut into chunks
• 1-pound large white shrimp, deveined and shells removed
• 12 large dry sea scallops
• 2 large, cooked Dungeness crabs, cleaned, legs removed, and body split into 4 pieces (optional)

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery, fennel, garlic and onion and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5–6 minutes.
2. Add the basil, crushed red pepper flake and fresh thyme. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the wine (or water), crushed tomatoes, fish stock (or vegetable broth), bay leaves and honey. Stir to combine, then cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes.
3. When the time is up, remove the lid and taste the sauce. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Be careful with the salt at this stage, as the seafood will bring a layer of brininess to the dish.
4. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the shellfish – clams and mussels. Cover fully with the lid, allowing the shellfish time to open—about 3 minutes. Next, add the white fish, making sure the chunks are submerged as much as possible in the broth, and cook for 2 minutes, followed by the shrimp, sea scallops and crab (if using). Cover the pot for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Cook for 4 minutes, then remove from the heat. Allow the pot to rest for 5 minutes. To serve, ladle equal portions of the tomato sauce into bowls, then artfully arrange the seafood along with slices of crusty sourdough bread. Garnish with fresh parsley.