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Cioppino
from the kitchen of Sharmagne Leland-St. John

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 white onion, chopped
3 large shallots, chopped
2 teaspoons sea salt
4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
³⁄₄ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
¹⁄₄ cup tomato paste
1‐ 28 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 ¹⁄₂ cups pinot grigio
5 cups fish stock
2 fresh bay leaves
1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets cut into 2-inch chunks (halibut, salmon, monk fish)
A few sprigs of Italian flat leafed parsley

In a soup kettle warm the oil over medium heat.   Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt.
sauté until the onion is translucent, approximately 10 minutes. Add the garlic and teaspoon
of red pepper flakes, and sauté an additional 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste.  Add tomatoes with their juices, the wine, fish stock and bay leaves.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer covered until the flavors
blend, approximately 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels
begin to open, approximately 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish
and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open.   Stir gently for 5
minutes longer.

Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes. Add the parsley as a garnish
and serve piping hot with a warm hard crusted bread.


Editor's Note: Discard any of the shellfish that do not open.
 

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