Take advantage of the delicious fresh Dungeness crab that is available now in our local markets. This Cioppino dish overflows with a wide array of delicious fresh seafood in a spicy, rich tomato-based broth which complements the subtle sweetness of each type of seafood. A warm, crusty slice or two of garlic bread or warm sour dough bread and a glass of wine is all you need to fully enjoy this fresh seafood dish!
This San Francisco seafood dish dates back to the late 1800s as a way to use whatever fresh seafood was available, depending on the season. As for which wine to serve — an Italian Dolcetto works perfectly with Cioppino. Deep ruby and purple in color, Dolcetto is rich, round, soft and fruity and it has intriguing aromatics of blackberry, plum and spice. On the palate, Dolcetto has distinctive flavors of licorice, blackberry and almond. However, when pairing wine and Cioppino, select a wine that suits your own personal preferences — making sure the wine you choose has enough acidity for the tomatoes, complexity to match the other ingredients, and moderate-to-lower tannins to keep the flavors balanced. Generally speaking, oak-aged whites and reds do not go as well with Cioppino as they do with other dishes — but many other wines work very well. Thanks to on-line research, here are some wine choices to ponder.
(1) How about a spicy, fruity and acidic Zinfandel (which brings good balance to the acidity of the tomatoes). (2) Or, if you prefer a white wine, try Albarino — it has plenty of zippy acidity and is a classic companion to many types of seafood; it will definitely enhance Cioppino’s diverse flavors. (3) Another Italian white wine with intensity, excellent acidity and a snappy complexity is Vermentino, which pairs well with the garlic and fennel flavors in Cioppino. (4) Perhaps you’d like a dry Provencal rose wine (with Grenache and Cinsault as the main varietals in the blend); it is pleasingly fruity with a touch of warm spice, it has moderate acidity and body, and the intriguing smokiness of the Cinsault grape is an excellent companion to Cioppino. (5) The Sauvignon Blanc wines of California or New Zealand with their slightly higher fruit notes and bright acidity also go well with Cioppino. (6) Consider a lighter red wine — such as Montepulciano from Italy’s Abruzzo region. It is highly aromatic, has plenty of peppery notes, a pleasing acidity and low tannins — all complementary to Cioppino’s rustic nature. (7) Another white wine is Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (from the same region of Italy as Montepulciano). The excellent acidity and fruit-forward character of this wine provides good depth and a refreshing crispness, which enhances the Cioppino sauce and provides good balance to the seafood itself. (8) If you prefer a lighter-bodied red wine, consider Beaujolais. This red wine from the Gamay grape has excellent acidity (a great match for the tomato sauce), is lighter in body, and is low in tannins with an abundance of fruity notes of cherry, currant, raspberry, and cranberry. (9) And don’t forget the ever-popular Sangiovese — a rust-red wine with both fruity and savory notes, a moderate body, and the proper acidic nature to be a wonderful companion for Cioppino. — NOTE: This useful wine data was obtained through the website of JJ Buckley Fine Wines (Oakland CA), which you will find to be a very useful information resource and an excellent site for on-line ordering for wines of all types — a big “Thank you!” to JJ Buckley!
DUNGENESS CIOPPINO
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup finely-diced yellow onion
3/4 cup diced fresh fennel bulb
2 tablespoons minced fresh shallots
1 tablespoon finely-minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes — or more, to taste
1 28-ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 1/2 cups white wine
4 cups fresh homemade seafood stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 pounds Dungeness crab legs and bodies
1 pound scrubbed and debearded mussels
1 pound scrubbed clams
1 pound halibut (or cod), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound extra-large shrimp
1/2 pound sea scallops
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped Italian parsley
Italian parsley sprigs or fresh fennel fronds, to garnish
Lemon wedges, to garnish
Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and fennel and cook 3-4 minutes until slightly softened; add shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, wine, stock, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the pot and bring just to a simmer. Cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before time to serve, add crab, mussels and clams to the pot; cook 4 minutes, then add halibut, shrimp and scallops. Cook 4 more minutes, or until seafood is opaque and cooked through, and mussels and clams have opened. NOTE: Discard any mussels or clams that have not opened. Gently stir butter into the broth until completely melted, then sprinkle chopped parsley over the top. Stir again to blend and serve Cioppino immediately, garnished with fresh Italian parsley sprigs or fennel fronds and lemon wedges on the side. — Serves 6
