Cioppino (Italian-American Seafood Tomato Wine Stew)

Quick answer

Total time: 55 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Cioppino is an Italian-American seafood stew where shrimp, mussels, and white fish are simmered in a tomato and white wine broth built on fish stock.

Sauteing onion and garlic in olive oil until fully softened forms the aromatic base, then white wine is added and reduced for two minutes to cook off the raw alcohol before the tomatoes and stock go in. Fifteen minutes of simmering concentrates the broth and integrates the flavors before any seafood enters the pot. Adding mussels first, then fish fillets, then shrimp last accounts for their different cooking times and prevents any piece from going rubbery or dry. The broth that results combines the brine drawn from the shellfish, the acidity of tomatoes, and the clean brightness of the wine into a complex, deeply savory liquid. Crusty bread served alongside is not optional in the traditional sense; soaking it in the stew is the standard way to consume every last bit of the broth. The dish originated with Italian immigrant fishermen in San Francisco who pooled the day's leftover catch into a communal pot.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

shrimp250 gg

mussels300 gg

white fish250 gg

canned tomatoes400 gg

onion120 gg

garlic20 gg

white wine150 mlml

fish stock500 mlml

olive oil2 tbsptbsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Devein 250 g shrimp, pat them dry, and keep them chilled while the broth starts.

Cut 250 g white fish into large pieces so they hold together instead of breaking apart in the pot.
2

Control

Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat.

Add 120 g onion and 20 g garlic, then cook until the onion turns translucent and the garlic smells sweet, without letting it brown.
3

Heat

Pour in 150 ml white wine and raise the heat to medium for about 2 minutes to cook off the raw alcohol.

When the aroma softens, add 400 g canned tomatoes and 500 ml fish stock.
4

Control

Once the broth boils, lower the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Stir occasionally so the bottom does not catch, and let the tomato acidity and fish stock settle into one balanced base.
5

Control

Add 300 g mussels first, cover, and cook for 2 minutes so they start opening.

Add the white fish next, then the shrimp last, simmering only 6-8 minutes total to avoid tough seafood.
6

Finish

Turn off the heat when the shrimp are pink and the mussels have opened.

Discard any mussels that stay closed and serve immediately while the broth is hot.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Fish stock forms the base before shrimp, mussels, and white fish finish in the tomato and white wine broth.
Finish cue: Add 120 g onion and 20 g garlic, then cook until the onion turns translucent and the garlic smells sweet, without letting it brown.
Avoid this: Add seafood near the end to avoid overcooking.