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Cioppino Recipe featuring Dungeness crab in a rich broth enhanced by a double-shell umami infusion.

Classic San Francisco Cioppino Recipe

Rebecca Blumer
Experience the ultimate San Francisco seafood feast with this rich and soulful Cioppino. A wine-bright tomato broth serves as the perfect base for sweet Dungeness crab, tender shrimp, mussels, and cod.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 480 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch oven

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 stalk diced celery
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 cups white wine
  • 1 28 ounce can tomato puree
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 thin lemon slices
  • 12 ounces cod
  • 1 cleaned, cooked, and cracked Dungeness crab
  • 1 pound medium raw shrimp
  • 1 pound cleaned and debearded mussels
  • 0.5 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Build the aromatic base

  • Set a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, then melt the butter with the olive oil until it looks glossy and calm, not sizzling hard.
  • Add the diced onion and diced celery with the pinch of salt, then cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion turns soft and lightly golden.
  • Stir in the minced garlic and let it cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant, ensuring it does not burn.

Deglaze and simmer the tomato broth

  • Pour in the white wine, raise the heat to high, and bring it to a lively simmer while you scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Stir in the tomato puree, water, bay leaf, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce, then drop the heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes until the broth slightly thickens.

Add seafood in the right order

  • Increase heat to high until the base reaches a boil, then slide in the thin lemon slices and the cod. Let it return to a simmer for about 2 minutes until the fish starts turning opaque.
  • Gently stir in the cleaned, cooked, and cracked Dungeness crab, the raw shrimp, and the mussels, then cover tightly and simmer about 5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and mussels open wide.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh parsley and basil, then season with salt and ground black pepper to taste before serving with sourdough bread.

Notes

Cleaning Tip: Soak mussels in cold salt water for 30 minutes before cooking to help them release any grit, ensuring the broth remains clean and silky.
Safety Warning: Always discard any mussels that stay tightly closed after the steaming time. This indicates they were likely dead before cooking and are not safe for consumption.
Seafood Success: Maintain a very gentle simmer once the seafood is added. Boiling too aggressively can cause the delicate cod to break apart and the shrimp to become tough.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 42gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 1150mgPotassium: 950mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1200IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 180mgIron: 6mg
Keyword Cioppino Recipe, San Francisco Food, seafood stew
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