Cioppino Sauce
Why I Love This Recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 cups fennel bulb -- sliced
1 1/2 cups onion -- sliced
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 each bay leaf
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup parsley -- chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seed -- crushed
2 ribs celery -- chopped
6 cloves garlic -- chopped
5 fillets anchovies
2 each fish bouillon cubes
14 ounces chicken broth
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
48 ounces tomatoes -- crushed
1 can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups water
1 1/2 pounds cod -- cut 1 inch thick
8 large shrimp -- raw
8 large sea scallops -- raw
20 large mussels -- raw
Directions
Saute onions and fennel for 5 minutes in olive oil over medium high heat. Add all herbs and continue to cook over moderate heat. Combine crushed pepper, anchovies, garlic, celery and bay. Let anchovies melt into oil. The anchovies act as a natural salt, the pepper flakes will infuse the oil, providing heat. Add wine, bouillon cubes, tomato paste, chicken stock, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Reduce heat to medium low. You may lower temp and cook for several hours if desired.
You are now finished with the sauce. You can freeze it or continue with the additional seafood mixture. Any seafood mixture will work, but this is just a few of the items you may like to add. I usually just add the seafood to the mixture I will be serving and not in the part I will be freezing.
Season fish chunks with salt and pepper. Add fish and simmer 5 minutes, giving the pot a shake. Do not stir your soup with a spoon after the addition of fish or you will break it up. Add shrimp, scallops, and mussels and cover pot. Cook 10 minutes, giving the pot a good shake now and again.
Remove the lid and discard any mussels that do not open. Carefully ladle stew into shallow bowls and pass bread at the table.
