The word cioppino comes from the northern Italian word ciuppin and means "chopped, torn to pieces."
In a Dutch oven or 6 quart pot, cook over medium heat until softened:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 fennel bulb, white parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 leek, white parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 large shallot, thinly sliced
Add, and cook until broken down and fragrant (about 1 minute):
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
Add, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until the flavors blend (30-45 min):
- 1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes, blended
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups seafood stock
- 1 bay leaf
Meanwhile, in a separate pot, steam:
- 2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
Remove most of the cooked mussels from shells and set aside. Reserve a handful of mussels in the shell for presentation.
Add, and cover, cooking until all the shells open, breaking apart the fish into the sauce (~8 minutes):
- 1 pound flounder
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Add:
- Cooked mussels
Season to taste:
- Kosher salt
- Red pepper
Garnish:
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
Serve with:
- Demi baguettes
- Lemon
- Remaining mussels in shells