Faster, Cheaper, Delicious
Cioppino, that marvelous Italian-American seafood stew with roots in San Francisco, is not hard to make. But a luxurious cioppino typically uses many types of seafood — crab, mussels, scallops, shrimp, squid, halibut — which does not exactly make it weeknight (or wallet) friendly.
This version uses shortcuts and a limited amount of seafood, mostly fish fillets. Choose whatever firm fish is on sale (the freezer case is a good place to start): mahi-mahi, cod and halibut are good choices. Likewise, buy all-white crabmeat, not the pricier lump; it's basically shredded and will help thicken the stew.
If you've got frozen shrimp on hand (we did), throw a few in at the end.
We added mushrooms to replace some of the texture supplied by the (missing) squid and scallops. Prepared condiments are used as time-savers, but feel free to chop your own onions, peppers and garlic, knowing that these also will require additional prep and cooking time.
Serve your cioppino with a crusty bread that can withstand a dunk into the stew.
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 20 minutesMakes: 4 servings<B>2 tablespoons olive oil1½ cups frozen chopped onions1 cup sliced mushrooms1 tablespoon Italian herb blend1 clove garlic, minced¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakesFreshly ground black pepper2 cans (16 ounces each) diced tomatoes, with their liquid1/3 cup red wine or to taste3 fillets firm fish (12 ounces total), such as mahi-mahi, cod or halibut, cut in chunks1 jar (6 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained, coarsely chopped1 can (6 ounces) all-white crabmeat8 to 12 frozen cooked shrimp, tail removed, optional1 teaspoon sugar, optionalChopped fresh parsley </B>Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.Stir in mushrooms, herb blend, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste; cook until mushrooms are softened, about 2 minutes.Stir in the tomatoes and wine; heat to a boil.Stir in the fish, making sure pieces are submerged; lower heat so mixture remains at a slow boil. Cook until fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes.Stir in roasted red peppers, crabmeat and shrimp, if using. Heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes.Taste; if stew is too acidic, stir in sugar. Serve, topped with parsley.
