Our Christmas Cioppino

We hosted Christmas dinner at our house and for the first time in YEARS, I made the most incredible cioppino recipe, a long-standing favorite of mine, originally from Rose Pistola restaurant. There appears to be several Rose Pistola cioppino recipes online, spanning the last decade. The one I always use is from 2003, the same year Rose Pistola won the Best Cioppino in San Francisco award by SF Weekly. You get where I'm going with this, and so, you need to try this.

Here is my modified version which is laid out a little differently much better and in a way that is easier for people *like me* to prepare. This is not a simple dish, but it is quick if you prep everything before turning on your burner. It should also be said that it is best on day two, which is why it works so well on a big holiday.

 

Rose Pistola Cioppino, 2003   Serves 4-6

 

Bowl No. 1:

- 1/2 cup olive oil

- 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion, rinsed

- 2 tablespoons leek, white part

- 3 oregano springs

- 2 bay leaves

Bowl No. 2:

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

- 3 anchovy fillets, chopped

Bowl No. 3

- 2 Dungeness crabs, cleaned and cracked

- 10 oz rockfish fillet

Separately:

- 1 cup dry white wine

- 4 cups chicken broth

- 2 cups tomato sauce

Bowl No. 3

- 16 black mussels, well scrubbed

- 12 oz cleaned squid, bodies cut into rings

- 6 oz rock shrimp, shelled or not

1.  In a large, heavy saute pan over high heat, saute ingredients of bowl No. 1 until onions are translucent, about five minutes. Stir in ingredients of bowl No. 2.

2.  Add crab and rockfish and stir until rockfish cooks and begins to break-up. Add wine and cook to reduce slightly. 

3.  Add chicken stock and tomato sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Taste and adjust if needed.

4.  Add fish in bowl No. 3  and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes until mussels open up. Turn heat off and discard any unopened mussels.

5.  Serve immediately or next day for a more developed flavors. Excellent with a big, hot loaf of garlic bread for dunking.

 

After dinner I served this Buche de Noel (phenomenal!) and decorated it with toy woodland animals because I didn't have time to craft them myself out of marzipan. Ha! Also seen on our Christmas table was peppermint bark, my sister's homemade fudge...store-bought cookies, more homemade cookies and Hershey's Kisses.

Needless to say, I consumed only water and raw kale today.