Be sure to have plenty of crusty bread on hand to soak up the wonderful broth in this amazing San Francisco classic.

Ingredients:

6-8 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
½ tsp dried hot red pepper flakes*
½ green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar*
1 ½ cups dry white wine
1 tsp dried Mediterranean oregano* crumbled
1 bay leaf
1 ½ cups seafood stock
14 oz. can diced tomatoes, including juice

12 mussels, scrubbed well
12 littleneck clams, scrubbed well
½ pound medium shrimp, shelled, leaving tails intact
½ pound sea scallops OR jumbo lump crabmeat
1 pound scrod or other white fish fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

In a heavy kettle (at least 5 quarts) cook onion in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, another 3-5 minutes.  Add pepper flakes and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened.  Add vinegar and boil until evaporated.  Add wine, oregano, seafood stock, and bay leaf and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Add mussels and clams and simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, checking often and transferring clams as they open with tongs to a bowl (discard unopened ones).  Add shrimp, scallops, and fish to soup and simmer, covered, 5 minutes, or until seafood is just cooked through. Stir in mussels, clams and their liquid and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves: 4-6

*Available at Zest!

Ingredients

Directions

Cioppino