Cioppino di Nonno | Nonna’s Fish Stew

Every Christmas Eve, we celebrate with my Nonna’s famous Cioppino, a seafood stew including lobster tails, clams, mussels, squid, halibut, and shrimp in a delicate tomato and white wine sauce served over spaghetti. This year, I plan to serve Nonna’s Cioppino with a chilled bottle of Madrevite Elve, 100% Grechetto from Umbria.

Receipt Date: December 9, 2020

Difficulty: Easy

Measurements: Imperial (US)

See ingredients, directions and pairings.

Ingredients

1 pound Clams, scrubbed, soak in salt water for at least 10 minutes

1 pound Mussels, scrubbed, debearded, soak in salt water with clams for at least 10 minutes

1 pound Shrimp, uncooked, peeled, and deveined

1 pound Halibut, cut into spoon-sized chunks

4-6 Baby lobster Tails

1/2 pound Squid, cleaned, then cut the body into 1/2" rings and leave the tentacles whole

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Fennel Bulb, cored and finely chopped

1 Garlic Clove, minced

2 Celery Ribs, finely chopped

1 Carrot, peeled and finely chopped

2 28-ounce cans of Imported Italian Tomatoes, chopped

2 cups Dry White Wine, plus a glass for the cook!

4 cups Fish Stock

2 Bay Leaves

1 pinch of Dried Oregano

1 pinch of Crushed Red Chili Pepper Flakes

Italian Parsley, chopped, to sprinkle on top

Directions

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven style pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until the onions are transparent and the carrots are tender - about 15 minutes. Stir in the white wine, fish stock, and tomatoes with juices, along with the bay leaves, oregano, and chili pepper flakes. Reduce to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon in the halibut, shrimp, baby lobster tails, clams, and mussels. Cover the pot and raise the temperature to medium-high; cook for 5 minutes. Add the squid rings and tentacles and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until all the clams and mussels have opened and lobster tails have turned bright red. Discard any clams and mussels that do not open, along with the bay leaves. Serve over al dente Spaghetti with a sprinkle of parsley and crusty Italian bread. Oh... and don't forget the Madrevite Elve vino!