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Cioppino (Fisherman’s Stew)
Brimming with fresh seafood in a tomato and wine broth that tastes like the sea, cioppino is a delicious Italian-American fish stew.
Brimming with fresh seafood in a tomato and wine broth that tastes like the sea, cioppino (pronounced cho-pee-no) is a rustic Italian-American fish stew. Though the dish originated with Italian immigrant fishermen in San Francisco, my favorite version is served on the opposite coast at Portofino, a charming bayside restaurant in Longboat Key, FL, where we celebrate my dad’s December birthday every year.
When we were there over the holidays, the chef was nice enough to share his recipe with me. To save time, I cut back on the variety of seafood called for (crab, lobster, and mussels would all make wonderful additions). Serve it with garlic bread, focaccia, or a baguette for sopping up the broth — and don’t forget a second bowl for shells and plenty of napkins.
What you’ll need To Make Cioppino
How to make Cioppino
Begin by heating 4 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and for 1 minute more. Do not brown.
Add the wine and increase the heat to high. Boil until the wine is reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, clam juice, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme sprigs, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, while the stew is simmering, toss the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the fish on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes at 400°F, or until just cooked through. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve. (Note: most cioppino recipes call for the fish to be simmered in the broth but I prefer to bake it separately so that it doesn’t fall apart or overcook.)
When the stew is done simmering, remove and discard the thyme sprigs and stir in the butter.
Add the clams and bring the stew back to a simmer.
Cover and cook for about 6 minutes, until the clams have mostly opened. Gently stir in the shrimp and bring the stew back to a simmer.
Cover and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through and the clams are completely opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Add the chopped thyme, then taste the stew and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Divide the warm fish into serving bowls. Ladle the stew over top, dividing the clams and shrimp evenly amongst the bowls. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve with garlic bread, focaccia, or a baguette for sopping up the broth. Enjoy!
Photo by oursaltykitchen
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Cioppino (Fisherman's Stew)
Brimming with fresh seafood in a tomato and wine broth that tastes like the sea, cioppino is a delicious Italian-American fish stew.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2/3 cup finely chopped shallots, from about 3 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, etc.
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (8 oz) bottles clam juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1-3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 7 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1-1/2 pounds firm-fleshed fish fillets, such as halibut, cod, salmon, snapper, etc., cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 pounds (about 18) littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1-1/2 pounds extra large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Fresh chopped Italian parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat 4 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Do not brown.
- Add the wine and increase the heat to high. Boil until the wine is reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, clam juice, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the salt, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme sprigs, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, while the stew is simmering, toss the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange the fish on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until just cooked through. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
- When the stew is done simmering, remove and discard the thyme sprigs and stir in the butter. Add the clams and bring the stew back to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes, until the clams have mostly opened. Gently stir in the shrimp and bring the stew back to a simmer; cover and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through and the clams are completely opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Add the chopped thyme, then taste the stew and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Divide the warm fish into serving bowls. Ladle the stew over top, dividing the clams and shrimp evenly amongst the bowls. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve with garlic bread, focaccia, or a baguette for sopping up the broth. And remember a second bowl for shells and plenty of napkins.
- Make Ahead: The stew — without seafood — can be made 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator, covered. When ready to serve, bake the fish and bring the stew to a simmer before adding the seafood.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 575
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 69 g
- Sodium: 2327 mg
- Cholesterol: 287 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reviews & Comments
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Loved this recipe! Absolutely delish and way simpler than I expected. It was a hit with me and my friends. Silly question – I am making this for a large group. Would you recommend I double all ingredients when attempting to double the recipe?
I would love to make this, but I am allergic to shrimp. Can you recommend any substitutions?
Hi Heather, this is pretty flexible in terms of the seafood you add. Feel free to add more clams or fish. Please LMK how it turns out!
If I could give this recipe 10 stars it would happen. The complex flavors and wonderful combination of seafood make this a true better than restaurant quality recipe! I followed the recipe to a T as well as cooking the halibut separately. For anyone reading this review DO NOT alter this recipe or for that matter any of Jenn’s other recipes…just my two cents worth!
Another excellent recipe-restaurant grade and so easy! I used homemade fish stock made from shrimp shells in lieu of clam juice and added scallops.
What I really love about your website is the confidence it is giving me to try new things and expand my culinary skills. Thank you!
This was recommended to me from a friend and had to try it since she said their whole family loved it plus my son loves Cioppino. The baked cod turned out great. I did add about 3/4 lb of scallops and that was a nice addition. This was an easy and very delicious recipe and will definitely be made again! Thank you! 😉
It came out great. I cooked 4 oz lobster tails when I cooked the cod and then added them into the sauce for a few minutes
I made the full recipe for the sauce but only half for the fish with a plan to freeze the leftover sauce for a few weeks. I seperated the sauce before I added the fish.
Any concerns with freezing the sauce?
Glad you liked it! I think the broth would be fine to freeze.
Jenn,
I love this recipe. Made it for Christmas and now Valentine’s Day. I’m wondering if I can freeze the leftovers (too much chocolate earlier in the day!). I took the mussels (substituted for clams) out of the shell figuring I didn’t want to freeze all those shells. Thanks for incredible recipes here and in the cookbook, and for being so responsive to all our questions
So glad you like the recipes, Barb! I think you could get away with freezing it. I’d just reheat it gently so the fish doesn’t get overcooked.
Cioppino is my husbands all time favorite but making it at home intimidated me. So, for New Year’s Eve this year I put on my big girl apron and tackled this recipe. What a pleasant surprise! This was so much easier than I imagined. In addition to clams I also added muscles, shrimp, squid and cod. Baking the cod in the oven did keep it from falling apart. It was an extra step I wasn’t sure was necessary but glad I did it. The sauce is so good and flavorful, it’s just calling for garlic bread to be dipped. Thanks Jenn for another great recipe.
So very good! Great dish for beach vacation. I made it for my family and Mother in law asked for recipe…she made twice in two weeks!! We use scallops instead of shrimp and grouper as it was the daily catch. Thanks!
I have made this recipe several times and always turns out great. Wonderful flavor and easy to make. I think it is a great idea to bake the fish first .
Made this for my family last night. I used more seafood than fish, added lobster, calamari, and Halibut, along with clams and shrimps. Great flavor, easy to make, the family really enjoyed it. Served with a loaf of nice sourdough bread. Thanks for a wonderful dish.
I love this recipe! Definitely worth the time because the results are delicious and beautiful. I have also prepared this substituting scallops for clams, eliminating the need to dispose of the shells and making it easier to serve to a large group
This dish is restaurant tasting quality. It is the perfect meal when you want to make something special for family or guests. The flavors are delicious, make it with Jenn’s focaccia bread and your guests will be wowed!
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was amazing! Huge hit, everyone loved it, even my brother who definitely falls into the “picky eater” category!
This dish was a huge hit with the family.
It was easy and non-messy to prepare and turned out great in presentation and flavor.
Thank you Jenn!
Great recipe…. easy and delicious! Great suggestion to add bake the fish separately.
Thank you!
Just made this and shared with friends. IT IS DELICIOUS! I added mussels, used salmon, had clams and shrimp. It was outstanding. Thank you for the recipe.
Between this website and the equally awesome cookbook, Jen has enabled countless amazing meals during this time stuck in my house! This recipe is perfection and it makes for a restaurant-quality meal for all. Thank you Jen!
This Cioppino is the best!! I’ve made it several times for my husband & for company. I’m excited to make it again as we are having it for Christmas Eve with our family. I made it last year as well & it’s been requested! We all love it!!!
Hey Jenn, the stores around me are all out of fresh thyme. Do you think this would work with dried thyme?
Sure, I think you could get away with dried thyme here and I’d recommend about 1 teaspoon. Please LMK how it turns out!
Thank you so much for your response! My husband actually found some fresh thyme, and it came out delicious as always. I really appreciate your advice and all the recipes you share with us on your site and in your book.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for your reply re: the timing of cooking the firm-fleshed fish and shellfish in the broth rather than oven baking the fish separately. I always love your very thorough responses for us novice cooks! I “winged” the timing, monitoring the process very carefully, and found that the firm -fleshed dish did indeed take about 6 minutes, but the shellfish actually took closer to 10(?!) Everything was absolutely delicious, but in view of your thoughts that the shellfish should not take more than just a few minutes, I wonder if I did something wrong? We followed the rest of the recipe exactly, but my husband said the temperature of the dish could have been a little hotter, and he thinks I cook with too low a fire? I had the pot on simmer, but when initially sautéing the shallots, the hot oil splattered so much on my skin that I got skittish and kept the fire down. Should I have put the pot (5 qt Le Creuset) on a smaller burner, with less btu power and turned up the fire instead? The shrimp were not rubbery at all, but I would like to get the meal to a little hotter temp ( I have a new Wolf stovetop, and your timing suggestions have always been spot on!) Also, the leftovers next day were actually even better, the fish more infused with flavor and tender, and the broth a little creamier!
Thanks for any suggestions!
Elise
Hi Elise, I think turning up the heat a bit would be beneficial – – not only will it make the shellfish cook more quickly but it will get the finished dish to be a little hotter. Hope that helps!
I made this dish for Valentine’s day. I used 3 different types of fish instead of 1 + shellfish because of allergies. Other than that, I followed it exactly. So good and it felt special, too. Will definitely serve with garlic bread next time!
Hi Jenn,
I would like to make this dish tonite, with cod, halibut, shrimp and scallops, ( no clams ), and simmering the fish in the broth, not first baking in the oven. At what point, and for how long, would I add the firm fleshed fish, and would I cover pot at all, and when would I drop the shrimp and scallops, and for how long? Thank you!
Elise
Hi Elise, I’m so sorry I think I’m probably too late to reply, but I would give the fish 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick, and I would cover the pot. The shellfish would need 2 to 4 minutes.
This recipe is amazing! If you are looking to impress someone this is the dish. I made it for my husband’s birthday as this is something that he will order when we go out on occasion. The flavor was incredible. We all truly enjoyed it. It is definitely something we will make again. Thank you!
I made Jenn’s Cioppino for my family this evening, and it was as good or better than any I’ve ever had in a restaurant. The recipe, as with all of Jenn’s recipes, was very well-written and easy to follow. I used a combination of cod and haddock, and also added some scallops along with the shrimp and clams. The only modification I made was to add a half of a vidalia onion, which I sauteed with the shallots. Also, I didn’t bake the fish ahead of time; I cooked it directly in the stew and it wasn’t a problem even if some of the fish did fall apart. It was all delicious and my family loved it. Thanks, Jenn, for another great recipe.
Wonderful and surprisingly easy!
Between this site and your beautiful cookbook I’m trying new recipes several times a week. Everything has been a hit 🙂
Hi Jen:
My husband only likes certain seafood, wondering if I could eliminate the clam juice? I am worried it might be too “fishy” for him? Thanks.
Hi Margarita, I suspect you could get away with replacing the clam juice with vegetable broth. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it! 🙂
I made this recipe last winter and it turned out fantastic. You are right in saying some other seafood makes a great addition, I added mussels and King Crab. I really like your recipes, they always turn out well for me. I’m a senior Perfumer for a global co., if you ever want a cologne or perfume, I’m your Huckleberry!
Best regards, Rich Nero
Hi Jenn, thank you for this great recipe. I halved it and made it for dinner tonight! My husband and I enjoyed this very much. xx
Hi Jen, Do you think I would be able to use scallops instead of the halibut or cod? And if so, should I bake the scallops first?
P.S. You are the first person I go to when I am looking for a delicious new recipe! Love them all!
So glad my blog is your go-to! Yes, you could use scallops here – I’d cook them first and add at the end to be 100% sure they don’t overcook. Hope you enjoy!
Wow, this recipe is delicious. My parents are both Italian and very particular about their Italian food so I was a bit nervous to try a new recipe when I was having them for dinner. They loved every last bite! Highly recommend this dish, I followed the directions exactly as written.
We never had a problem buying clam juice when we lived in Toronto. But we’ve since retired to France, and can’t find it anywhere. In fact, no one seems to know what we’re talking about. What about using Clamato juice to cook? It would combine the flavours of tomato and clam juice. Would that work? Any other ideas! Thanks!
Sure, Loren, I think that should work. Please LMK how it turns out!
Instead of clam juice, I used shrimp shells to make stock. This is a delicious recipe! Sometimes tomato-based soups are too tomatoey, but this was well-balanced!
Hi Jen,
I’m so glad to have found your blog. For Thanksgiving, I made them autumn soup with sweet potatoes, carrots and apple. It was delicious and got rave reviews from my husband. We have some lobster meat to use and I’d love to try it in your Cioppino recipe for Christmas Eve. Do you have any recommendations for doing this? Should I bake first, then add last? How long should I cook the lobster, so that it doesn’t over or get rubbery? I’m also interested in how you might use lobster in place of crab meat in your delicious crab cake recipe. Thank you!!
Hi Michele, glad to hear you enjoyed the soup! For the cioppino, it’s fine for you to add some lobster. I would cook it first and then add it to the soup toward the end just to warm it up. And I think it would be fine to use cooked lobster in the crab cake recipe; you just want to make sure that the pieces are about the same size as lump crab meat so that the cakes will hold together. Hope that helps!
Out-of-this-world delicious! It was better than restaurants! I had never cooked with live clams before. Thanks for the tip about throwing out the ones that hadn’t opened.
Everybody said it was the best meal I’ve made this summer in Maine. I added scallops which I poached in cold milk and before serving added chunks of cooked lobster. The halibut chunks were a little dry and I think it was because I cut the chunks too small. Will definitely make many more times.
I’m so happy to find this website! I made this a week ago and it is one of the best cioppino I’ve had. Since my husband is allergic to shrimp, I had to substitute with scallops, mussels, and squid for added flavor. The results were great! The tomato based broth was very flavorful without being too acidic and “tomatoey”, and my husband was very happy to finally be able to eat cioppino. Before, eating seafood based soups or stews at restaurants were always out of the question for him due to shrimp allergy. Jen, thanks for the great recipes!!!
Hi Jen,
I made this recipe and everyone loved it!
If I wanted to try it with lobster instead of halibut; would I toss the lobster with olive oil and salt and cook in the oven, or, would I put it in the sauce when I add the shrimp?
A huge thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
Lynda
Hi Lynda, I would go the route of cooking the lobster first and then add it to the soup toward the end just to warm it up. Hope you enjoy!
I tried this recipe last night with cod, lobster tail and shrimp. I tweaked the recipe with more garlic. I boiled my shrimp shells in water to make a stock and used that instead of water. When the sauce was done, I placed the cod pieces in a frying pan and covered with the sauce and braised the fish. When the fish was cooked, I returned the contents of the frying pan back to the pot. The fish remained intact.
Overall a very good recipe
First, every recipe I’ve tried from you is a winner. Today I’m making your double chocolate biscottis which I make regularly. I have your cookbook as well
As for the cioppino, my husband is allergic to shellfish. Can I just use thick white fish (cod, haddock) for this? I do think he’d be ok with the clam juice in it. He can’t eat the shrimp or clams. Thanks
So glad you enjoy the recipes, Gerilyn! Any seafood will work in the cioppino, so feel free to substitute.
We have made this at least 6 times and love it. We stay true to the broth recipe and often use haddock, mussels and shrimp and it’s fabulous. Could we make the broth ahead (with wine) and freeze it, then add butter and seafood as we simmer it?
Glad you like it, Erin! Sure, I think it would be fine to prepare the broth and freeze it. 🙂
Haven’t tried this yet but can’t wait. Should I double the shrimp here if I omit the clams or do you have a better idea? Thanks.
Hi Chad, That works. Hope you enjoy it!
Every time I make this it is beyond spectacular. Last night, I made a quick shrimp stock with the shells and added that with the clam juice. (I hate to throw those shells out!) Also, a couple anchovies in the sauce gives it a nice added zip. Another huge hit by Jenn.
I made this for the first time this past Good Friday for dinner, I followed the recipe exactly. It was a huge hit and my very picky Portuguese husband thought it was amazing! Will definitely make this again! Thanks again Jenn!
This is absolutely delicious! We had this with friends for a dinner party and everyone loved it! Lots of bread to get all the broth.
Every recipe we’ve tried on your website has been 5star!
I’m never afraid to try a recipe for the first time when I have guests because they’ve all been amazing. You’re the best, Jenn!
Nicely done Jenn. The perfect meal for Valentines Day. I used Dungeness Crab, mussels, clams and mahi mahi but otherwise pretty much followed your guidance which was spot on.
Hi Jenn! Me and husband don’t do alcohol — any way to substitute it?
Hi M, The wine adds a depth of flavor to this, but I think more clam juice plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice would work as a substitute for the wine. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
One word…….AMAZING. I could live on this broth. I made it exactly as written and just so happen to use the same clam juice and tomatoes. I will definitely be making this again. Jenn, you never fail me, your recipes are my go to source. Thank You!!!
This dish was our special Christmas Eve dinner in 2018. I followed the recipe except for omitting the clams and mussels as I do not have experience cooking them. But the next time I will add them to the cod, salmon, and shrimp. We had a marinated cucumber salad, fresh homemade crusty bread, and fresh fruit for dessert. A great seafood stew recipe!
Hi!
This recipe looks absolutely wonderful. Will prepare this for my husband and I tonight for NYE!
Thanks!!
This is absolutely a fantastic dish especially during cool weather. My husband and I used to drive 30 miles to Galveston from Houston, Texas just to have Cioppino at The Grotto at San Luis Resort. We love it so much that I started searching for a good recipe and finally decided to try your recipe after going through the reviews. First time I tried this recipe and it was a great hit with the hubby and a guest who even asked for the recipe. I used low sodium chicken broth instead of plain water because I prefer to use stock or broth for better flavor in any recipe. I would have preferred it creamy so maybe I would add a bit of cornstarch so the flavor is not changed. Hubby said that the taste has the right spiciness and sweetness with a zing so it is much better than the Cioppino at The Grotto. We no longer have to drive far to have a wonderful stew. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
I made something based on this recipe tonight. I used the same ingredients in the same amounts for the most part, plus extra seafood. The two ingredients that were different were the wine, where I put two 187mL bottles of chardonnay in, and tomato paste. All of my seafood was cooked in the sauce, forget the oven, or a separate pot (mussels and clams). It was delicious!
I can’t wait to put it over pasta or rice.
This recipe was so delicious!! Thank you for sharing 🙂 This is definitely going in our book of delicious recipes!!!
Jenn
I made seafood stock during the summer with left over shells etc.
Could I use this instead of clam juice? I have lobster, crab , shrimp & otherfish in my freezer.
Thank you
Joan
Sure – enjoy! 🙂