Photo: Cioppino: A Fine Kettle of Fish Recipe
I am half Sicilian, so a large part of the family does "The Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve. I do not have the patience to make seven dishes. I make this instead — it uses five varieties of seafood, all in one pot. Now that's a happy holiday!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (3 turns around the pan in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 to 3 flat fillets of anchovies, drained
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup good quality dry white wine
- 1 (14-ounce) container chicken stock
- 1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Salt and pepper
- 8 large shrimp, ask for deveined easy-peel or peel and devein
- 8 sea scallops
- 16 to 20 raw mussels, scrubbed
- A loaf of fresh, crusty bread, for mopping
Directions
In a large pot over moderate heat combine oil, crushed pepper, anchovies, garlic, and bay. Let anchovies melt into oil. The anchovies act as a natural salt, the pepper flakes will infuse the oil, providing heat.
Chop celery and onion near stove and add to the pot as you work. Saute vegetables for a few minutes to begin to soften and add wine to the pot. Reduce wine a minute, then add chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to medium low.
Season fish chunks with salt and pepper. Add fish and simmer 5 minutes, giving the pot a shake now and then. Do not stir your soup with a spoon after the addition of fish or you will break it up. Add shrimp, scallops, and mussels and cover pot. Cook 10 minutes, giving the pot a good shake now and again.
Remove the lid and discard any mussels that do not open. Carefully ladle stew into shallow bowls and pass bread at the table.
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By DeborahLar
Sutton, MA
on December 24, 2011
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My family really enjoyed this dish. We served it over spaghetti and it was perfect! It was fairly easy to put together and I love one pot meals! I would definitely do this one again. Thanks Rachael!!
By ranmdihl
on December 11, 2011
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Yummy! I wasn't sure if I would like this. Not a huge fish soup fan. Needed a light (not filling recipe for Thanksgiving eve dinner. But, went with the other reviewers on this. I increased the broth to make it a little wetter. It fed six grown adults with seconds. Very tasty. We added osters instead of mussles.
By jay-are_12876173
Delran NJ
on December 09, 2011
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A dish like this cooks up best in a dutch oven. I use the entire 2 oz can of King Oscar brand anchovies for a richer flavor and use more seafood than the recipe calls for. This time I actually used catfish filets because they’re more tender than monkfish and don’t flake apart like cod. Overcooking or even undercooking the seafood can ruin a dish like this. When it’s time to add the seafood I bring the pot down to a very slow simmer. First I add the mussels. Five minutes later I add the fish and sea scallops having cut up both into similar size chunks. Five minutes after that I add the shrimp. At this point it’s very important to keep close tabs on the cooking progress so I sample each of the four seafood groups about every minute to check for doneness. When everything is cooked through to my liking I turn off the burner and let the pot sit a while before serving. Very few dishes compare to the taste of this served leftover. Wonderful.
Read all 142 reviews