While many people have heard of Cioppino and may think it is of Italian origin, it is not. It was created in San Francisco by Italian immigrants and popularized there. The original Italian fisherman’s soup is Cacciuccoi. This seafood soup, also called cacciucco (meaning “mixture”), is a specialty of Livorno, a fishing port that is Tuscany’s second-largest city. It has been made for hundreds of years, and variations of it appear all along the Tuscan coast. Traditionally, at least five types of fish and shellfish are included )one for each “c” in the name). If you like, do as the Italians do, the place a slice of toasted bread in each bowl before ladling the soup over. Other seafoods may be added, such as squid (calamari), scallops, or mussels.
It is super easy to make, especially if you (as we do) keep some frozen seafood in the freezer. Everything else is pretty much a pantry item.
Cacciuccoi
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried red pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 cans 14 oz. diced tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 can 14 oz chicken broth
10 ounces Alaskan Cod (or other firm fleshed white fish)
10 ounces uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 mussels, whole
Additional chopped fresh parsley
Sea Salt
Extra-Virgin olive oil
Method:
1. Heat olive oil and butter in large pot over medium heat
2. Add onion and celery. Saute for several minutes until onion is translucent
3. Add garlic and saute for one minute
4. Add dried red pepper
5. Sprinkle with flour
6. Stir 2 minutes
7. Add wine; cook until liquid evaporates
8. Add tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, and chicken broth
9. Bring to a boil
10. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes
11. Add shrimp and cook for approximately 2/3 minutes until pink
12. Add Cod and cook until opaque in center, about 2 or 3 minutes
13. Add Mussels until open
14. Ladle soup into large soup bowls
15. Sprinkle with additional parsley and sea salt
16. Drizzle soup with olive oil
