San Francisco Cioppino

8 steps · 45 min total

1. 01

   Prepare the Crab

   Carefully remove the legs and claws from the dungeness crabs, then break the body in half. As you do this, try to reserve as much of the "crab butter" (the yellow-colored center) as you can.

   Set the crab pieces aside. Force the reserved crab butter through a sieve into a small bowl and set that aside too.

2. 02

   Steam the Clams

   Place the clams in a pan, add 1 cup of wine, and steam, covered, over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the clams open wide.
3. 03

   Strain Clam Stock, Heat Oil

   Remove the clams from the pan, discarding any that didn't open. Strain the clam stock through a cheesecloth and set it aside.

   In an 8-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

4. 04

   Sauté Aromatics

   Add the onion and garlic to the hot oil and sauté over medium heat until they're soft and translucent, but not browned.
5. 05

   Simmer the Broth

   Stir in the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, the remaining 2 cups of wine, ground pepper, basil, oregano, and the reserved clam stock. Partially cover the saucepan and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
6. 06

   Add Seafood

   Add the fish, scallops, shrimp, crab pieces, and the reserved crab butter to the simmering broth. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until all the seafood is cooked through. Avoid stirring too much, as the fish can easily break apart.
7. 07

   Warm the Clams

   Stir in the steamed clams and let them warm through for a scant 1 minute.
8. 08

   Serve

   Sprinkle generously with fresh parsley and serve the cioppino immediately, directly from the pot.