Cioppino (Fisherman’s 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. This is my simplified version. To save time, I cut back on the variety of seafood called for — although 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.
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!
Cioppino (Fisherman's 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.
Reviews & Comments
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Can I get away without using butter for this recipe? Any suggestions for alternatives or is it just a must?
Totally fine to leave it out, Abbey — it just rounds out the broth. Or you could use olive oil instead. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn
I first had this dish at a neighbours along with the Big Italian Salad – it was my introduction to your cooking and website. Since then you have become my goto for most meals and I can honestly say that in the last 8 months everything I have made from your site is fabulous. Tonight I made this with mussels and homemade grainy bread and it was amazing. I love your cookbook and look forward to continuing to try all your recipes. Thanks for all you do – hopefully you will be in the Vancouver area someday so I can say thanks in person. Cheers. Colleen
So happy you’re enjoying the recipes, Colleen! 😊
Great soup!
I’m from San Francisco, and we made this all the time from fish & shellfish that we purchased at Fisherman’s Wharf.
Most of the time, we make it from whatever firm white-fleshed fish is available at a good price, shrimp which is always on-hand in the freezer. Have to buy fresh clams–you absolutely need fresh clams!
I frequently use 1/2 of a 28-oz can of tomatoes for other recipes, and freeze the left over portion. It is these frozen remnants that get used for this stew. I typically use vermouth for the wine, as we mostly drink reds, and there is always vermouth on hand. And I typically have onions but frequently am out of shallots.
This soup always turns out great & is a guest favorite. We like it with a fresh baguette, but have freshly made garlic-herb butter for our guests, and they can toast it on the grill in no time.
Again….A Fabulous recipe….Thanks Jen!
What is the best method for adding lobster? And what quantity? Thank you
Hi Eileen, I’d cook the lobster first and add it towards the end to give it just enough time to warm through. Hope that helps and I’d love to know how it turns out!
Another fantastic recipe! Thank you!
My husband suggested we make it as a pasta dish. Worked out very well. We thickened the sauce by adding half a can of tomato paste.
Thanks Jenn. I’ll try that. I forgot to rate the recipe. Definitely 5 stars!!
Hi Jenn
I made this recipe and the flavor was excellent. My husband loved it but likes pasta with everything and I was wondering how I could thicken the broth a little to go over pasta. Any suggestions. would be appreciated. By the way, I absolutely love your cookbook and have tried some of the recipes with great success. Congratulations!!
Hi Maria, So happy you like the recipe and the cookbook! To make the broth thicker, I’d use only half of the clam juice. Hope that helps!
Love!
Made it exactly as written except added fennel at the same time as the shallots.
I liked having the fennel’s texture mixed up in there.
Question…the clams were out keast favorite..a tad rubbery I’m assuming from over cooking. Do you think adding them to the shellfish additions last would fix that? Thanks!
Yep, that will help Kim. Glad you enjoyed!
Made this for the first time for guests. It was DELICIOUS. Followed recipe exactly as written, with cod, little neck clams, shrimp, and a few seared scallops. Side of garlic bread and everyone loved this dinner on a cold Sunday night. Thank you!
Hi Jen!
Back to using your incredible recipes! Have already made the broth in preparation for a Valentine’s dinner for my parents tomorrow night. I picked up some fresh mussels, shrimp and scallops. All will be frozen by tomorrow. This may be silly, but what is your recommendation for preparing the frozen mussels and scallops (small bay scallops) prior to putting it in the stew?
Hi Shazeen, thanks for the nice words about the recipes – glad you enjoy them! Not a silly question – I’d let the mussels and scallops defrost in the fridge before adding to the stew. Hope you all enjoy!
Holy smokes, over 2300 mg sodium per serving? That’s a lot! How might I get that depth of flavor but drastically reduce the sodium?
Hi Andrea, There are a few ways to reduce the sodium – You could omit or reduce the salt, but I think you’ll find the stew bland if you cut too much. You could also replace all or some of the shellfish with more fish (shellfish are very high in sodium). And you could replace the clam juice with low-sodium fish stock. Those changes would make a significant difference in the amount of sodium. Hope that helps!
Hello- is there a sub I can use for the wine? I don’t drink (or cook with!) alcohol due to religious reasons! Pls help!!! 🙂
Hi Shama, The wine does add depth of flavor to the stew, but I think more clam juice plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice would be a good substitute for the wine. I’d love to hear how it turns out with these tweaks!
Exquisite!
Wonderful recipe. Easy to make, delicious and healthy. I did not have 2 8-oz bottles of clam juice, so substituted 8 oz. chicken broth for the clam juice.
I added a leek as well. I will definitely make this again and will serve for friends.
I have been eyeing this recipe for some time now and finally made it…. it was absolutely delicious. I might make it with just clams next time for simplicity’s sake. Just yummy!
Fabulous! Cooking the fish ahead of time, (I used swordfish) is the greatest idea! I used seafood stock in lieu of clam juice, added 2Tbs tom paste. Love the whole thing, the broth is exceptional. Thanks for sharing, this it’s a keeper. From a former resident of San Fran and cioppino aficionado, this is as authentic as Scoma’s!
This is mind blowing, Jenn — by far the best dish I’ve ever made. Serving it with your rosemary focaccia, which is also incredible. Thanks so much for making our NYE dinner special; I hope you and your family have a great New Year!!
Just made a version of this lovely soup for Christmas Eve although I made some revisions because me and my husband don’t care for clams or mussels. Therefore I used a combination of halibut, prawns, and lobster. I would have used crab as well but there wasn’t any available. In lieu of the clam juice + water I made a stock from the prawn and lobster shells, and used 3 cups total. Baking the halibut separately for 10 minutes as directed is a fantastic idea! I know I changed up your recipe by eliminating the mollusks, and added an extra step by making a fish stock. But it was still a simple recipe, and my shellfish version was delicious! I’ll make it part of my soup repertoire.
This is an excellent recipe! Easy to follow and easy to switch up with different seafood! Cioppino is my boyfriend’s favorite and this recipe makes him think I have special culinary powers!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Sure, Alex. Enjoy!
I’ve had a version of cioppino in SF that included some penne pasta at the bottom, to make it a bit more filling I suppose. Is this version the consistency of a thin soup/stew, or could it be placed over some pasta? Would you alter the recipe if doing so?
HI Marc, based on the texture of this, you could definitely get away with spooning the cioppino over pasta. No adjustments necessary – enjoy!
Good morning. I have a bag of frozen clams and am wondering if that would be a suitable replacement for the shell ones. Love love your recipes Jenn. Family very much enjoyed your sausage lasagna Sunday.
Hi Gail, Glad you like the recipes! Yes, I think forzen clams would work here. (No need to defrost first.). Enjoy!
I don’t know if five stars are enough to describe how much I love this recipe. I have made it at least five times and used both cod and halibut with wonderful results. The recipe is easy to make yet the result is a complex and beautiful tasting dish.
Loved this recipe-it was so easy, and is very tasty! I couldn’t get haddock- used shrimp, clams, sea scallops and cod, and added extra garlic. I look forward to using this base with other fish combinations! Thank-you!
Hi Jen,
We love your recipes. Can I use mussels in place of the clams and follow the same directions?
Thank you!
Stacy
Yep 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hi Jen. This looks delicious! lIf I added some chopped fennel to this recipe would it enhance the flavor more? If so, how many bulbs of fennel would complement this recipe (6 serving)? Also, have you ever tried adding a splash of Pernod in your Cioppino? Do you think this would be too much? Lastly, can red wine be used instead of white? Sorry for asking too many but would appreciate your input. thank you!
Hi Myrak, I love the idea of adding chopped fennel and a splash of Pernod (but go easy). And it’s fine to use red wine instead of white. Please let me know how it turns out with the adjustments. 🙂
approximately how much fresh fennel would be good to add? thank you. can’t wait to make this!
Hi Linda, I think about 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced would be nice. Hope you enjoy!
How many will this recipe serve?
Hi Stephen, this serves 4 – 6 depending on the serving size. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Looking forward to making this recipe. I can’t quite read the name of the Clam Sauce. I’m interested in trying to seek in out in my area of WA state. Cheers!
The brand is Bar Harbor. Enjoy the cioppino!
HI Clo.
I also live in Washington and found this clam juice at Hagens.
Jane
The broth on this soup is out of this world. Although it was a bit of a task finding all of the ingredients for this stew, it was well worth the effort.
My favorite go-to comfort food is always soup. The beauty of soups and stews to me is the one pot method! As the cooler weather approaches and seafood is at its finest, this is the definite dish to try! I've never baked fish for a stew before, but the meat definitely does hold together better, and it is worth the extra effort. The recipe for Fisherman's Stew is both beautiful to look at and flavorful. After years of traveling in the Midwest region I'm finally back home in New York and even more at home with this delectable Cioppino recipe!
Hey Jen! I use your recipes EVERY week and have now fooled everyone into thinking I can cook. Excited to make the cioppino! Can I make the broth in the afternoon before guests arrive?
Thank you!
So glad you’re having success with the recipes, Noa! And you can definitely make the broth in advance. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, this looks like such a fabulous recipe for cioppino (or, as I like to call it, “Italian bouillabaisse”). ALL of your recipes are perfection. But I have a question. If I wanted to add a lobster tail or scallops or calamari to this, how should I do it? I.e. when to add any of those? And should I sear the scallops first or par-bake the lobster first? Many thanks!
Hi Lisa, glad you like the recipes! For lobster, scallops or calamari, I’d cook them first and add at the end to be 100% sure they don’t overcook. Or if you want to par-bake the lobster and add for the last few minutes of cooking, that’s fine too…but I prefer to cook them separately b/c I have more control – especially with seafood that can get rubbery (like the ones you mention). Lmk know how it turns out!
Thanks so much, Jenn! And I may have accidentally asked this a second time–if so, just delete. Can’t wait to try this and will let you know how it turns out!
I made this and it was out of this world!! Instead of two bottles of clam juice, I used one bottle (the brand in the photograph, which is far superior to others) and another cup and a half of homemade shrimp stock. I also added thinly sliced fennel when I sauteed the shallots. The broth is so good, I wanted to (and did!) drink it with a spoon. I made it with shrimp, clams and cod. Baking the fish first and laying it on the bottom of the bowl then ladling the sauce on top is brilliant. I will be making this again and again. Thanks, Jenn!
Hi! Just wondering…I’ve seen many recipes for cioppino that called for fennel. I’m going to make yours exactly as instructed, but curious about the ingredient or lack of. Thanks for a wonderful site. ?
Hi Beth, I love fennel in cioppino – feel free to add it. This restaurant was adapted from the chef at Portofino, so I changed it only as necessary to make sure it would work well for home cooks.
I made your recipe exactly as written, and it was fantastic. I wouldn’t change a thing.
My husband has always loved the seafood stew from a couple of local restaurants, so I was excited when this recipe landed in my inbox. He loved the stew that I made using this recipe.
Wow….this is the best! Made it exactly as published, and my hubby and I loved it! We are lovers of cioppino and found this recipe beats the best restaurants in the NW.
We loved this. My husband doesn’t care for clams so I used cod instead but otherwise made exactly as written. It took some time but was delicious! Thank you Jen!
I just made this tonight. Oh. My. I put in muscles, clams, scallops and shrimp. Magnificent!! So pretty and so easy. I have never made mussels or clams before…kind of felt bad for killing the little things, but somebody had to do it. The family is so impressed. I made it with the suggested arugula salad and crusty bread. Thanks so much Jen Segal. Where have you been all my life?
Made this exactly per the Chef’s recipe (OK maybe a bit of extra garlic) but cut the recipe in half since it was just 2 of us. Rivals the best Cioppinos I’ve have in SF and elsewhere. I’ve tried other recipes and they always came up lacking. As usual Jenn prevails.
Thanks so much for sharing with us
This has really nice flavor and is easy to make. My husband and I both loved it. I used shrimp and grouper, and would use less sugar next time.
Great recipe, Jenn!
made this tonight..it does take a little time to put it all together….well worth it…enjoyed it
I lost my recipe for cioppino, so glad I did. I made this one yesterday as others I had since tried were disappointing. This is delicious and my husband will agree. I am looking forward to serving it when I have a few friends over who are also foodies as well as great cooks!
Surprisingly easy and a huge success – my friends are still emailing me 24 hours later to tell me how great this was! I paired with your Focaccia Bread and Caesar salad – both also easy and huge hits!
Perfect Timing! Crabmeat in fridge that had to be eaten today. This recipe was a healthier choice than my usual creamy dip, spread and cassarole recipes. Didn’t lose out on flavor either. It was scrumptious, right down to the last spoonful!!
Looks delicious but agree with Cathy about the sodium content . It’s off the chart! Any suggestions on how this could be lessened without losing flavor?
Hi Carol, There are a few ways to reduce the sodium. You could omit or reduce the salt, but I think you’ll find the broth bland if you cut it too much. You could replace all or some of the shellfish with more fish, as shellfish are very high in sodium. And you could also replace the clam juice with low sodium fish stock. All of those changes would make a big difference in terms of sodium. Hope that helps!
This looks delicious. The sodium content per serving is quite high. Is there more sodium that just the added salt? Thanks.
Hi Cathy, Clam juice and seafood, especially shellfish, are very high in sodium.
Helloooo, new subscriber and a home cooking dad. I loved this dish and plan to make it better the second time…whoops. I destroyed the shrimp by over cooking them- it doesn’t take much. I love your site, delicious looking food, the photography is amazing also. Nice job! Gary/Sarasota Fl.
This looks delish, the clams open with so much liquid? I you thought you had to steam them in a small amount of liquid for the to open. I want to make this next week for company.
They definitely open, Sherri. Hope you enjoy it, and please come back and let me know how it turns out.
Hello! I can’t get clam juice where I live. I was thinking that making a broth from shrimp shells, might work, but was concerned that it might not be strong enough. What would you suggest as an alternative? Thanks!
Hi Adele, I think making a broth with shrimp shells will definitely work — and it will be more economical to boot.
Thanks Jenn – making it tomorrow! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
My family keeps kosher in the home, so we can’t do the shell fish, but I like the idea of a fish stew with the other components here. Do you have any suggestions for boosting the “Seafood,” flavor without the clam juice etc…Thanks in advance for your thoughts…Love your stuff!
Steve
Hi Steve, You could definitely use fish stock. Hopefully you can find a kosher one, as making it from scratch is kind of a pain :).
I think 4 out of 5 recipes I use every week are off of here! I’m so in love. Making this TONIGHT! Can I substitute clams with mussels? We’re not big on clams.
Absolutely, Celeste – any seafood will work in this recipe so feel free to use whatever you like/have on hand. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Another question, you mentioned you can cook the fish in the stew? When would you add them in doing it this way?
I’d add it with the clams; just be gentle when stirring as the fish will fall apart easily once it’s cooked. Also, you can omit the additional 3/4 teaspoon salt for the fish if you cook it this way.
Thanks once again! Made it for my family tonight and everyone loved it. A real hit!
What can I use to replace the wine? (I don’t consume alcohol).
Hi Iman, I think more clam juice plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice would be a good substitute for the wine in this recipe. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it this way.
I tried this and it was good, but I think the original re pie (with the wine) likely makes this recipe. A substitute left it lacking of that strong flavour/kick. Would cider vinegar, soy sauce, or grape juice work to replace the wine?
Hi Iman, Yes, the wine does add depth of flavor and acidity – you might try adding a little lemon juice to taste at the end to brighten it up.