Cioppino for Two

Cioppino is a simple, flavorful seafood stew that comes together quickly without much fuss. Here, I included clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops—all common ingredients in traditional cioppino. Other classic ingredients include crab, halibut, and cod. Choose your favorites for a delicious, light, and easy dinner. 

Note: Littleneck clams have hard, thick shells that take longer to open than their larger, thinner cousins. If you use littlenecks, allow 8-10 minutes cooking time, and discard any that don’t open.

For seafood soup with a South American twist, see Peruvian Seafood Stew.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 cup petite-diced tomatoes with juice (from a 15-oz can)
• 1 8-oz. bottle clam juice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6-8 littleneck clams
• 6 mussels
• 6 peeled, deveined medium shrimp
• 4 medium sea scallops, halved
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Seafood for the Cioppino

Preparation

1. Heat a large, wide pot or deep skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, clam juice, and wine and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook slowly 20 minutes.

Shallot and Garlic Beginning to Cook

Tomato Mixture Added

1. Increase the heat to medium and add the clams. Cover and cook 4 minutes. Add the mussels and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, 3-4 minutes. (Larger shells may not be open yet.)
2. Add the shrimp and scallops and cook until just cooked through, 2-3 minutes, depending on size. (Discard any shellfish that do not open.) Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley.

Clams Beginning to Cook

Mussels Added 

Shrimp and Scallops Added 

To serve, divide the cioppino between 2 shallow bowls and serve hot.

Cioppino for Two