Author: based on a combination of recipes by Epicurious and Giada de Laurentiis
There are so many variations on this theme. You can use shellfish or not, fresh clams or canned, fish stock or chicken stock, Pernod or white wine. You can even add Italian sausage and cannellini beans if you want an extra layer of flavor. Don't be afraid to be creative; we found a package called "seafood medley" at Costco that we used and it contained shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and calamari, although normally I'd omit those last three - personal preference - I don't like dealing with the shells. :) . I added halibut (or you could use cod) and sausage (which you can omit altogether). Of course if you add lobster, this hits it out of the park. In my opinion, the best combination would be a pound each of shrimp, scallops, halibut, and lobster. Basically you'll want between 3 to 4 pounds of fish. Here's the recipe we used.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped into ½-inch pieces (even if you don't like fennel, you'll be surprised at how the anise taste cooks out and just adds that perfect flavor.)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste at the end if needed)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more to taste at the end if needed)
(optional) 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
2 cups white wine (we used Riesling but Pinot Grigio would be great also)
¼ cup tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (we use Cento brand)
3 cups broth (chicken or fish)
1 bay leaf
(optional) ½ teaspoon sugar
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
About a dozen large scallops
(optional)1 pound lobster meat from 2 lobster tails
(optional) 1 pound mussels
(optional) 1 pound clams or 2 cans of chopped clams with the juice (we used the canned)
(optional) ½ pound calamari
1 pound halibut or cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
(optional) 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (we used)
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the fennel, garlic, shallot, salt, and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
(Add the sausage here, if using, and break into ½-inch pieces. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes.)
Add the wine and deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon, scraping up brown bits if necessary..
Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for ten minutes.
Michael suggests adding ½ teaspoon sugar here if needed -- taste it and see if you agree!
At this point, in a separate fry pan, in 1 tablespoon olive oil, I sauteed the shrimp, scallops, halibut, lobster, etc, just for a minute or two to brown. Most recipes don't call for this step but I found it deepens the flavor.
Uncover the Dutch oven and add the beans if using, pinch of crushed red pepper if using, basil, and thyme.
Add all the fish you're using to the big pot of sauce and simmer uncovered, about 5- 10 minutes.
Remove and discard bay leaf.
Ladle the cioppino into soup bowls and serve with crusty bread!
Recipe by Food and Friendship at https://www.foodandfriendshipsantabarbara.com/2021/02/16/some-say-cioppino-some-say-bouillabaisse/