Scallop Cioppino

This is a relatively simple version of cioppino, an Italian tomato and peppers-based fish stew.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 large onions, medium dice
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 4 bell peppers, large diced
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, minced
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup sherry or other white wine (use only 1/2 cup for Instant Pot version)
  • Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 2 small bottles of clam juice
  • 2 lbs scallops (and - optional - up to 2 lbs of other seafood such as shrimp or white fish)
  • 1 large (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
  • 2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • basil (either chopped, fresh basil or a 1/2 tablespoon of dried basil)
  • Fish sauce to taste

Serving suggestion: Fresh linguine.

Instructions:

Heat a large stockpot and sauté the onions in olive oil until softened, but not browned.

Add garlic and sauté briefly, until the aroma softens slightly.

Add bell peppers and oregano. Sauté briefly just to come up to temperature.

Add jalapeños and tomato paste and sauté until the vegetables are soft and the entire mixture deepens in color.

Add the wine [If using an Instant Pot, see modification 1] and continue to cook as the wine boils and this base starts to thicken. Season with pepper.

Add clam juice and diced tomatoes and return to a boil. [If using an Instant Pot, see modifications 2 and 3] This should simmer for a while (about half an hour) as the flavors concentrate. Now is a good time to taste and adjust the flavors of your cioppino base. The base can also be stored for later at this point and either frozen for much later or refrigerated for the next day.

With your cioppino base at a boil, add the basil and parsley, then your seafood (scallops and white fish or shrimp). If you have fish of much different sized chunks (like large sea scallops and small shrimp), separate them and put the larger chunks in first, adding the smaller chunks after a minute or so. Seafood cooks quickly and you absolutely do not want to overcook it.

Adjust the flavor with additional salt and fish sauce as desired.

When the scallops are done to your liking serve, preferably over fresh linguine.

Three Modifications for Instant Pot:

  1. Adjust the wine from 1 cup to half a cup.
  2. Use your Instant Pot's "Sauté" setting to do everything up until you add the clam juice and tomatoes. After adding those, put the lid on your Instant Pot and set it to manual mode, high pressure for 5 minutes. You can cook your pasta at this time is you plan to serve it over pasta.
  3. Once the pressure cycle completes, release the pressure and return the Instant Pot to sauté mode while you adjust the salt and cook until you are happy with the thickness of the broth.