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Summer Cioppino


It has been a while since I've posted, I have been out there soaking up as much summer as I can! I have been to the beach, pool days with family, outdoor concerts, all those amazing summertime things that fill you up with so much happiness you have enough to store for the coldest winter days. Speaking of summer - it's August! The first few days of August are always like a bucket of cold water on your head - you're settling into a groove of enjoying lazy summer days and all the sudden the calendar flips to August and you realize.... it's almost over! You go into ultra preserve-summer-for-as-long-as-you-can mode and start planning weekend trips to the lake, penciling in pool days, dinner on the porch and questioning whether you can squeeze in one more beach trip?

So we were driving home from a weekend at the pool with family this past weekend and I started having those panicky summer-is-ending thoughts and decided I needed all the seafood in one huge pot to quell my anxiety.... hence the Cioppino! You don't often think about stews in the summer but this light tomato-fennel broth poured over briny, fresh-from-the-sea clams, mussels, squid and shrimp is perfectly appropriate for even the hottest of summer days. It reminds me of running full speed into the ocean and dunking your head into the crisp, cold salt water and then coming out to lay on your towel draped over the hot sand - warming you right up after that cold dip. ahh... can't summer last forever?

SERVING SIZE: 2

PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 1.5 HOURS

INGREDIENTS:

a dozen PEI Mussels

a dozen Littleneck Clams (Cherrystone work too!)

1/2 lb Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp (peeled, de-veined - save the shells for the broth!)

1/2 lb Squid (I used tentacles only but if you use the body, slice into rings)

1/2 med-large bulb of Fennel (finely chopped)

1 small Shallot (minced)

2 tbsp. fresh Fennel Fronds

2 cloves Garlic (minced)

1/4 cup EVOO

1/2 tsp. Chili Flakes

1 tbsp. Dried Oregano

2 Bay Leaves

S+P

8-10 (3.5 cups) small, ripe Roma Tomatoes (blanched, peeled and crushed by hand*)

3/4 cup Pinot Noir

1 cup Chicken Stock (or 1/2 cup clam juice + 1/2 cup of water)

RECIPE:

Heat EVOO in a dutch-oven pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the fennel bulb, shallot, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, chili flakes, S+P. Reduce the heat to medium and stir constantly until the fennel and shallot have softened (about 10 minutes). Add the chicken stock (or clam juice + water), shrimp shells and wine. Cook over medium heat, with the lid, for about 45 minutes. Remove the shrimp shells and continue cooking for another 15 minutes with the lid removed and the heat reduced to simmer.

Taste the stock, add more S+P to taste and let simmer longer if you think it needs more time to develop flavor. When you're happy with the flavor, add the Clams and Mussels - cover and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the Shrimp and Squid. Cover again and cook until the Clams and Mussels open (about 10 minutes) - the shrimp should be pink and firm and the squid opaque and firm. Discard any mussels or clams that did not open.

Spoon the seafood into a bowl using a slotted spoon, pour hot broth over the seafood and top with fresh fennel fronds. Serve with crusty, french bread and enjoy! Happy Eating!

*To make hand-crushed tomatoes you will need to score the end of the tomatoes opposite the stem using a knife and gently carving an 'X' in just the outer layer of skin - try not to puncture to deeply. Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop the scored tomatoes in once the water has reached a rolling boil. Cook for just about a minute, enough time to let the skin start peeling away at the 'X'. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and instantly submerge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let them soak in the cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel away the skin, starting at the 'X' until you have removed all of it. Crush the skinless tomato into a bowl with your hands, letting it ooze through your fingers, breaking the body apart. Reserve all of the juices with the tomatoes as you crush.


Kristen's Cooking Tips

#1 

Use sharp knives! Slicing, chopping, mincing- sharp knives cut prep time in half and are WAY safer than fighting with dull blades that barely get through the skin of a tomato. At the very least, get a knife sharpener and run the blade across it before any prep. 

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#2

Taste EVERYTHING as you go! Cooking is about using instinct and creating flavors- you'll never learn to cook if you don't develop instincts... taste the food at every stage and follow the flavor development, adding more salt, more acid, more cream- whatever your taste buds are reaching for. 

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#3

Mis en Place: it's french for everything in it's place. Before you start a dish, gather all of your ingredients and prep everything you need in advance. Minced garlic? mince it first and set aside. Chopped herbs? Chop away and be ready when you need them. So many people I talk to say cooking is stressful, there is "too much going on"- it's all about time management. Cooking should be relaxing and fun! Think about your favorite cooking show... notice how they always have everything they need right there? Read the whole recipe through and zoom out- while this is cooking, make this; while this is chilling, cook this. Know how to breakdown the steps and prepare your ingredients so you're not stuck with burning garlic while you're chopping cilantro. Go in with a clear mind and know you're about to fuel your body and nourish your soul with your own two hands...and a few sharp knives ;)

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