San Francisco Cioppino
Who better to provide a cioppino recipe than Jesse Llapitan, the executive chef of San Francisco’s Palace Hotel, the city’s grande dame? Every San Franciscan puts his or her own stamp on this rustic fisherman’s stew, but the Dungeness crab is nonnegotiable. Chef Llapitan attended the 2005 Workshop.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
For each crab, detach the crab legs from the body by hand. With a mallet, crack the legs and claws. Holding the crab from underneath, lift off and discard the hard top shell. Turn the crab over; lift off and discard the triangular tail flap and the feathery gills along both sides. Quarter the body and pick out the meat. Reserve the body shells for the fish stock if desired.
Step 2
Heat a large, wide 8-quart pot over moderately low heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, fennel, garlic, and chile flakes. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and sweet, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the fish stock, tomato puree, bay leaves, basil, and salt to taste. Simmer gently until reduced to the texture of a thin tomato sauce, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 3
Add the clams and mussels. Cover and cook over high heat until the shellfish begin to open. Add the crab legs and the shrimp. Cover and simmer for about 2 minutes, then add the halibut and the shelled crab meat. To keep the halibut in large chunks, don’t stir it into the cioppino; cover the pot and let the fish steam on the surface until white throughout, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately in large bowls, dividing the fish and shellfish evenly and ladling the broth around. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Step 4
Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay or another medium- to full-bodied white wine.
