Cioppino

Bass Family Cioppino

We’ve been on a sea food kick lately and decided to make a cioppino.  Tiffany has been expanding her palate for seafood, which is not a bad thing. This is a twist on a Giada De Laurentiis Shrimp and sausage Cioppino, where we add additional sea food.  The spicy Italian sausage can be either turkey or pork, depending on if you’d like to make this lighter.  The pork sausage would have a bit more flavor, but the turkey is also very good in this dish. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

 

Olive Oil	¼ cup
Fennel bulb	1, chopped into ½ inch pieces
Garlic Cloves	4, smashed
Shallots	2 large, chopped
Spicy Italian Sausage	1 pound, casings removed (turkey or pork)
White wine (Pinot Grigio)	2 cups
Tomato paste	¼ cup
Chicken stock or broth (low sodium)	3 cups
Bay leaf (dried)	1
Cannellini Beans	1 can (15 ounces) drained and rinsed
Basil leaves	1 cup, chopped
Thyme	1 tablespoon
Shrimp, peeled and deveined	1 pound
Clams	½ pound
Mussels	½ pound
Cod (or other similar firm fish)	1 pound, cut into 1 inch sections
Salt and pepper
Crusty bread

Instructions: 

Step 1:

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the fennel, garlic, shallots, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.  Cook until vegetables are slightly softened, for a about four minutes.   

Step 2:

Add the sausage and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon.  Cook until the meat is browned, about five minutes.

Step 3:

Add the wine and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to get all the yummy brown bits.  Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth and bay leaf.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 4:

Uncover the pot and add the beans, shellfish, basil and thyme. Simmer for a minute, then add the fish and shrimp.  Simmer until the shrimp has turned pink, about four minutes.  Discard the bay leaf and server in a soup bowl with some crusty bread.

Enjoy!