San Francisco Cioppino

Serves 6 · 30 min prep · 40 min cook

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
• 2 cups seafood or fish stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 12 oz firm white fish fillets (cod, halibut, or sea bass), cut in 2-inch chunks
• 12 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lb littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• 8 oz cooked Dungeness crab legs or clusters, cracked
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1 small loaf sourdough loaf, sliced and toasted

Instructions

1. 1Scrub the clams and mussels under cold water; discard any with cracked shells or that stay open when tapped. Pat the fish dry and cut into chunks. Keep shrimp, crab, and shellfish chilled until needed.
2. 2Heat the olive oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers.
3. 3Add the onion and fennel. Cook, stirring now and then, until both are soft and translucent with light golden edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. 4Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute—do not brown the garlic.
5. 5Pour in the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
6. 6Add the crushed tomatoes, seafood stock, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a lively simmer, then lower the heat so the surface gently bubbles.
7. 7Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth tastes rounded and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
8. 8Nestle the fish chunks into the broth in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes so the exterior just turns opaque.
9. 9Add the shrimp, clams, and mussels. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat until the shrimp are pink and curled and most shells have opened, 5 to 7 minutes.
10. 10Discard any clams or mussels that remain tightly closed. Gently fold in the crab legs and warm through for 2 minutes so the meat heats without shredding.
11. 11Remove and discard the bay leaf. Scatter the parsley over the pot and give one gentle stir.
12. 12Ladle into wide bowls, dividing the seafood evenly and spooning plenty of broth over the top. Serve at once with lemon wedges and toasted sourdough for dunking.