How to Make My Mom's Cioppino

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How to Make My Mom's Cioppino

Hands down my favorite dish from home! My mom makes this every Christmas. Not sure how close it is to traditional Cioppino, as she's altered it through the years, so we'll call it "Seattle style".

Brittney Riley

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Step 1 of 31

First things first, make sure you get the freshest, highest quality ingredients. If you're in Seattle, head down to Pike Place to get the full experience.

Step 2 of 31

Wander through the market until you find (or smell) the seafood.

Step 3 of 31

Order your seafood from the guys in the orange pants. Ask them for recommendations, you want the best ingredients and they'll help you out.

Step 4 of 31

Pickup anything else you need.

Step 5 of 31

Once home, start the chopping: onions, bell peppers, celery, carrots and fennel.

Step 6 of 31

This can be done in advance.

Step 7 of 31

Always heat your stainless pot before adding olive oil & onions. Cook until translucent.

Step 8 of 31

Add garlic & anchovies.

Step 9 of 31

Stir constantly over medium heat so garlic does not burn

Step 10 of 31

Add the rest of the chopped veggies

Step 11 of 31

Add the bay leaves

Step 12 of 31

Add dry white wine

Step 13 of 31

Season with thyme, oregano, fresh basil, fresh parsley and fresh lemon. You can also add fresh ground pepper & sea salt.

Step 14 of 31

Add Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce to taste. My mom doesn't really measure anything, just taste as you go and you'll be fine.

Step 15 of 31

Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste & clam juice. Mom usually adds vegetable broth for more liquid.

Step 16 of 31

Add clam juice or your own fish stock.

Step 17 of 31

Fresh lemon. Just make sure you don't drop any seeds.

Step 18 of 31

Clean and prepare seafood. The seafood doesn't take very long to cook so simmer sauce for a while and then add seafood 15 minutes prior to serving.

Step 19 of 31

Start with fish then few minutes later add the scallops and shrimp followed by the shellfish.

Step 20 of 31

Only takes around 5 minutes don't overcook or seafood will be tough.

Step 21 of 31

Add more fresh basil & parsley

Step 22 of 31

Cook until shells open, discard any shells that don't open.

Step 23 of 31

More seafood.

Step 24 of 31

One year, mom had to stretch the recipe so she added cheese tortellini. We liked it so much, it's now part of the recipe. If you're cooking with leftovers in mind, only add enough pasta for this meal.

Step 25 of 31

Here's my mom cooking up the Cioppino!

Step 26 of 31

We divided for two pots so we could add in all the pasta and seafood.

Step 27 of 31

Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Step 28 of 31

Make sure you have a garlic crusty bread, essential for dunking. We used Chez Fred's garlic bread guide.

Step 29 of 31

Salt & pepper to taste

Step 30 of 31

Serve with a fine wine and your favorite people!

Step 31 of 31

Success! I will be dreaming about this meal for the next year!

You're Done

Check out other guides by this author!

Brittney Riley

San Francisco

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I like to go places and learn things. Community @Snapguide

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Olive oil

Onion

Garlic

Anchovies

Fennel bulb

Bell pepper

Celery

Carrot

Bay leaf

Crushed can tomatoes

Dry white wine or red wine

Tobasco

Worcestershire sauce

Vegetable broth

Lemon juice

Fresh parsley

Dried oregano and thyme

Fresh basil

Medium shrimp

Scallops

Mussels

Clams

Monkfish or halibut

Cheese tortellini

Parmesan

Crusty bread

Clam juice

Children lucky had mom can made Ciopinno beautiful chop veg and seafood

Timothyphelps Phelps 3 weeks ago

Amazing!

Kim Loeung 3 weeks ago

That sure isn't San Francisco choppino. Where's the crab?

Sara Bertolini 3 weeks ago

great work

Sowmya Rasa 4 weeks ago

gonna give this a go!looks impressive

Michael cole 4 weeks ago

Nice

Otto Miranda 4 weeks ago

Yum...will make this for sure. Thanks for sharing!

Stacy Lydrickson last month

Wow this looks soooo delicious!

Diana Mounter 2 months ago

Will try!

Bonnie Furnanz 4 months ago

Yummy

Anabel Cadena 4 months ago

This is easier than I thought. I love the Ciopinno at Leal SeaFoods- excited to try this out.

Ja'Nohn Bowen 4 months ago

I Made it!! Looked and tasted so Nice !! Love it!! I'm brazilian and i live in Sao Paulo !! All my family liked!! Thank you for the recipe!!!

Ellen Gattai 4 months ago

Looks soooooo nice!!!!

Rachel Wang 4 months ago

Love it! Makes me hungry.

Robert Farrell 4 months ago

Love Ciopinno! Cannot wait to try it. Thank you for all the photos and details!!

Craig Anderson 4 months ago

Omg my mom is gonna make it

Bryanna Valle 4 months ago

Looks delish! I recently had Ciopinno in a fancy Seattle restaurant and it was the worst Ciopinno had ever tasted. These guys could possibly take a page from your Mom's recipe book!

Jennifer P 4 months ago