Cioppino, Your Way

Serves 6-8

From Chronicle staff writer Tara Duggan. Serve with lemon wedges and sourdough bread.

¼ cup fat (olive oil, butter)

¼ to ½ teaspoon spice (cayenne, chile flakes, chopped jalapeño pepper, black pepper, saffron threads soaked in warm water) cups diced or minced aromatics (onion, leek, fennel, celery, green bell pepper) cloves garlic, peeled and whole or minced to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish), or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, fennel fronds) tablespoons tomato paste -ounce can tomato product (whole canned tomatoes, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce) to 6 cups broth (clam juice diluted with water, fish stock)

½ to 1 cup wine (dry white wine, red wine)

Salt to 7 pounds shellfish (cooked, cleaned, and cracked crab; clams; mussels; bay scallops; peeled or unpeeled large shrimp; calamari, bodies sliced) pound white fish (California sea bass, black cod, true cod, halibut), skinned and chopped into 1-inch chunks 2 28

In a Dutch oven or heavybottomed stock pot, heat the fat with the spice briefly, then add the aromatics, garlic and herbs. Saute over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened, about 12 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, and stir to dissolve. Add the tomato product and toss to coat in the aromatics. Simmer 3-5 minutes if using tomato sauce, or 15-20 minutes for other products, until the tomatoes lose their raw flavor.

Add the broth and wine; bring to a simmer, then cook 15-20 minutes. If using whole or diced tomatoes, puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt. (The recipe can be made to this point — the base — 1 day ahead and refrigerated.)

Return the cioppino base to a strong simmer, then add the shellfish and white fish in this order: clams (cooking time: 10-12 minutes total); crab (8 minutes total); mussels, shrimp, calamari, white fish (all 3-5 minutes total). Each time you add a new type of seafood, stir to submerge the seafood in the sauce, return the sauce to a lively simmer and then cover the pot.

Season with salt and spice, if needed, and garnish with the reserved fresh herbs. Serve hot with the lemon wedges and sourdough bread.