The origin and the essential ingredients of cioppino (chuh-PEE-noh) remain obscure even after reading Thorne, McClane, Herbst and others in the bibliography.   For sure, it ain’t La Bouillabaisse De L’Atlantique, but rather an unpretentious fish stew, resident of San Francisco, with probable origins in the galleys of fishing boats operating out of San Diego, Monterrey and the San Francisco Bay. 

So, it’s an idea rather than a recipe: one kind of fish, maybe two that won’t fall to pieces in a stew, some shrimp and a variety of shellfish all bound together with a great tasting tomato sauce.  It is a high preparation quick-plated fish stew perfect for a buffet crowd who will find it fun to eat out of big pasta bowls with good bread.  My recipe changes every time I make it.  What remains constant is the requirement (a) that the fish and seafood not be cooked to death or break up in the sauce, and (b) that the sauce itself be stand-alone tasty.  If you want to make this dish more simply and concentrate on getting the fish right, start with a good marinara sauce and skip the tomato ingredients. 

CIOPPINO
Yield: 16
See Abbreviations, if needed
·   3            onions, sliced
·   2             red peppers, large julienne 
·   4             garlic cloves, pureed or pressed
·   2             leeks, white only, large julienne, 
·   ½ C        cilantro or parsley, chopped
·   ½ C        EVOO
·   12 C       tomato concassé or course tomato sauce 
·   10          canned Italian plum tomatoes, halved, with sauce
·   1 C         red wine
·   1 C        water or chicken or fish stock
·   1 TB ea  a sachet of basil, rosemary, marjoram, oregano and bay leaf
·   2 T        Tennessee Sunshine, Cholula or other mild hot sauce (not Tabasco)
·   2 T        Worchester sauce
·   4 lbs      monk, or other sturdy white-meated-fish, cut into bite sized chunks
·   2.5 lbs   medium size shrimp, shelled (uncooked frozen OK)
·   2.5 doz  little neck or cherry stones clams
·   1 C        mushrooms, sliced or broken
·   4 doz     mussels cleaned
·   TT         S/P (season and taste as you go along)

1.  Sweat onions, peppers, leeks and cilantro in EVOO in a 
     large (8 quart) heavy saucepot, add garlic
2.  Add tomato products, hot sauce, Worchester and S/P
3.  Add wine, water, spice sachet and reduce
4.  Simmer for about 35 minutes until well balanced
5.  Adjust seasoning and set sauce aside
6.  Place fish in a second saucepot, season, add some of the sauce, 
     cook to slightly underdone, and set aside in warming oven
7.  Season and sauté shrimp in EVOO to slightly underdone and 
     add them to the fish saucepot
8.   Steam clams, drain and set aside
9.   A la minute:
     ·    BTB sauce in serving pot, add mushrooms and 
          reduce heat to medium low
     ·    add mussels and cook to open 
     ·    add clams 
     ·    gently fold in monk fish, shrimp and it’s sauce
10.  Serve in large pasta bowls with a Caesar salad and focaccia

Notes
a.  Portion guide:  Plan for 6 ozs of sauce, 4 oz of fish, 3-4 shrimp, 3 mussels and 2 little necks per serving. 
b.  Reduce costs by using frozen uncooked shrimp.  Fish and mollusks must be fresh.