Cioppino:  a stew of fish and shellfish cooked usually with tomatoes, wine, spices, and herbs

Origin of CIOPPINO

modification of Italian dialect (Liguria) ciuppin

First Known Use: 1917

And this from Wikipedia;

“Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in San Francisco is typically a combination of Dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels, and fish all sourced from the Pacific Ocean. The seafood is then combined with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce, and served with toasted bread, either local sourdough or French bread.

Cioppino was developed in the late 1800s primarily by Italian fishermen who settled in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, many from the port city of Genoa. Originally it was made on the boats while out at sea and later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco.

The name comes from ciuppin, a word in the Ligurian dialect spoken in Genoa meaning “to chop” or “chopped,” which describes the process of making the stew by chopping up various leftovers of the day’s catch. Ciuppin is also the name of a classic soup from the region, similar in flavor to cioppino but with less tomato and using Mediterranean seafood cooked to the point that it falls apart.

The dish also shares its origin with other regional Italian variations of seafood stew (“zuppe di pesce (it)“) similar to ciuppin, including cacciucco from Tuscany, brodetto (it) from Abruzzo, Quatàra di Porto Cesareo (it), and others. Similar dishes can be found in coastal regions throughout the Mediterranean, from Portugal to Greece. Examples of these include suquet de peix (ca) from Catalan-speaking regions of coastal Spain and bouillabaisse from Provence.”

The name comes from ciuppin, a word in the Ligurian dialect spoken in Genoa meaning “to chop” or “chopped,” which describes the process of making the stew by chopping up various leftovers of the day’s catch. Ciuppin is also the name of a classic soup from the region, similar in flavor to cioppino but with less tomato and using Mediterranean seafood cooked to the point that it falls apart.

The dish also shares its origin with other regional Italian variations of seafood stew (“zuppe di pesce (it)“) similar to ciuppin, including cacciucco from Tuscany, brodetto (it) from Abruzzo, Quatàra di Porto Cesareo (it), and others. Similar dishes can be found in coastal regions throughout the Mediterranean, from Portugal to Greece. Examples of these include suquet de peix (ca) from Catalan-speaking regions of coastal Spain and bouillabaisse from Provence.”

 

So there’s your Cioppino history lesson according to the internet, which we all know never lies. I’ve made Cioppino during Dungeness Crab season for years although when I was younger I made a heavier version. I would say it started more like a “zuppa di (Joe) pesce” because it was more reliant on tomato. I have since changed my recipe to a lighter broth, in this case made from crab “stuff”. You know, all that junk you make your grocer clean out of the crab body before it goes home.

On one of my favorite Christmas dinners I asked each of the adults to bring a small portion of shellfish or seafood to contribute to the pot, or “chip in”. There are those that say the word Cioppino became an Italian American slang for “Chip In”. I don’t know whether that’s true or not, but I do know having everyone contribute really added to more than just the soup! Remember that like all stews, what you put in or leave out is up to your personal taste. Use my recipe as a starting point and personalize it from there.

Basic Crab Stock:

2 Dungeness crab shells with all innards and all pieces from cracking crabs (see photo above)

1 onion chopped

4 stalks celery chopped

1/2 bunch fresh parsley rough chopped

1 tbls Old Bay Seasoning

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tbls Beau Monde or celery salt

1 head of garlic whole

1 tsp thyme

1 tbls whole peppercorns

Salt

Place all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and cover with cold water, at least 10 cups. bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for an hour to two hours. Add water to keep level. Test for salt and seasoning and adjust as necessary. Remove from heat, cool and strain the liquid into a 1 gallon ziplock baggie. Freeze or refrigerate. Oh and by the way, your house will smell for at least 6 hours afterward.

Cioppino Recipe:

2 tbls olive oil

1 med shallot diced

2 stalks finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped fennel

1 6 oz can tomato paste paste

1/2 cup white wine-chardonnay

1 8oz can diced tomatoes

1 8oz can tomato sauce

3 bay leaves

1 tsp paprika

8 cloves chopped raw garlic and 8 cloves roasted garlic mashed

8 cups crab stock, or seafoood stock

1-2 dungeness crab cleaned and cracked

1/2 lb large shrimp, shell split and deviened

1 lb clams in the shell, cleaned

1 lb mussels in the shell, scrubbed

6 oz halibut cut into 1 inch squares

*1/2 lb scallops, squid or other optional

In a large stock pot add the olive oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the vegetables except the garlic and saute for 3 minutes or so over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and the garlic and continue to saute until the paste wants to stick to the pan. Add the wine at this point and cook a minute or so until the alcohol burns off. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the fish and shellfish and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Add the halibut, then the shrimp, then clams and mussels. Add the crab last after the mussels and clams open. Grill some french bread slices and rub with a clove of garlic .

Serve in large bowls with plenty of napkins, the grilled bread to dip in the delicious broth, and a nice glass of wine!