Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Venetian-Style Cioppino

Venetian-Style Cioppino

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 large bulb fennel, quartered lengthwise, core removed and thinly sliced (Heads up: save a handful of the fronds for garnish)
  • 1 large onion, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large, fresh bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
  • 2 healthy pinches saffron
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 28-ounce can chunky-style crushed tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into chunks
  • 3/4 pound large, deveined shrimp
  • 3/4 pound scrubbed mussels
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil, torn or shredded
  • Loaf of crusty bread

Yields: Serves 6

Preparation

Heat EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in large pot or Dutch oven. Add fennel, onion, garlic, season with salt and pepper, and add in a bay leaf. Sauté 10 minutes.

Add vermouth or wine, stir, then add in saffron threads, stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, let reduce 5 minutes then add cod and seafood. Cover pot and cook 5 minutes, until shrimp are pink and firm, and fish is flaky and cooked through. Discard any un-opened mussels.

Serve in shallow bowls garnished with fennel fronds and basil with crusty bread alongside for mopping.