Ingredients
- Seafood:
- 4 large live crabs
- 1 lb. large raw prawns
- 2 lbs. raw clams (preferably Manila)
- 1 lb. calamari rings
- Optional: 2 lbs. firm fish filets, cut into chunks (use halibut, sea bass, salmon – or a combination)
- Sauce:
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 large green bell pepper finely chopped
- 4 cups stewed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
- 1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup clam juice
- 1 to 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Preparing the sauce:
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté garlic, onions, celery, green pepper and parsley in olive oil until tender.
Add stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, clam juice and crushed red pepper.
Bring to a low boil, then lower heat and simmer for at least an hour, adding water if needed to keep the volume of liquid the same.
Cracking the crabs:
Being careful to avoid finger injury (a perpetual hazard among professional crustacean crackers), take a firm hold of the live crabs and remove the bodies from the shell. Split bodies in half and crack legs. Reserve crab fat.
Making the cioppino:
Add cracked crab, crab fat, raw clams and fish (if using) to sauce. Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes (taste a crab leg to check for doneness). Add calamari rings during the last five minutes. While the cioppino is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil and season with a pinch of salt. Cook prawns for one minute, then add to cioppino during the last two or three minutes of cooking. Cioppino is done when all clams have opened.
Serving the cioppino:
Serve the cioppino like Vince’s dad always did: over freshly cooked rigatoni (to soak up the broth). Vince suggests accompanying the stew with a caesar salad, crusty sourdough bread and a bottle of ‘Dago Red’.