It is time that many of you might be thinking about doing a romantic meal for Valentines.
If you can avoid the restaurants, you will avoid alot of busy-ness and chaos
as well. I was in the restaurant business and this is the busiest night of the
year.
One thing that makes a nice enchanting meal is the spices that are used and also the presentation and "fun-ness" of it.
One idea is to make believe you are on the beach eating in a restaurant overlooking the bay in San Francisco and watch the fisherman come in. They use to make a communal pot of some kind of fisherman's stew and everyone pitched in something from the day's catch. Rustic and good with wine and french bread.
The first time I was served this the waiter came out with a rugged aluminum pot with handle and just set it down on the white tablecloth. I wondered if the chef was too lazy to put it in a bowl for me. Then I wondered If he was too lazy to crack the crab for me to ........I mean really it is in tomato sauce …not broth!
All that was served with it was bread and wine.
But it was FUN! Lets disect the recipe
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Cioppino Sauce
Phil describes that his mother made a separate sauce for the Cioppino
that could be made ahead.
The the seafood was selected depending on what was available.
The sauce was poured over the seafood and cooked.
The Base
11/4 cup good olive oil
2Qt. Sliced white onion
1 head of garlic, about 15 garlic cloves
Fresh Basil (about a cup of chopped leaves)
Italian flat leaf parsley ( 1 cup chopped )
1 Tblespoon worchestishire
The Body
2- 14 oz can Tomato Puree
2-14 oz. can of Whole Italian style Tomatoes
2 Tablsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper
Aromatics
Cinnamon
Bay Leaf Seafood
Dungeness Crab , preferably but can use king crab, snow or blue crab
Lobster , Shrimp in the shell, White fish like cod or halibut, or snapper.
Mussels, Clams , scallops
Squid.
olive oil
optional, can of chopped clams and clam juice
Seafood broth
1 cup White wine,
pinch Saffron
2 tblesp. Worcestershire
Directions;
1.Heat olive oil in large Dutch Oven or your favorite large soup pot.
2. Add the onions and garlic and cook until they are soft.
Add the basil and parsley and cook 1 more minute. Add the
Worcestershire sauce.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, cinnamon and bay leaf.
Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes on low to let the flavors develop
and don't let it darken or the overcooked tomato taste will be awful.
If your not going to use the sauce today then cool it quickly and
put into a container to store.
( The faster you cool the sauce down
The longer it will keep in the fridge and you will avoid harmful
bacteria to form. )
4. The Seafood
Start with olive oil and heat up and add the
clams and mussels,
Add the saffron, Worcestershire and
wine
Simmer to make sure that the clams and mussels
open. Remove those that look to be dead.
Add the clam juice and the white fish that you cut into large 2 oz. chunks.
You don't want them to fall apart into mush.
Add the prawns, scallops, crab and Squid.
Phil adds now a can of chopped clams and clam juice because
it gives it a sweetness.
Now add half to 3/4 of the Cioppino sauce and simmer.
for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
Optional enchanting seasonings.
Red pepper flakes, tobacco, pasilla or jalapeno chilies.
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