Cioppino

Cioppino. It's actually quite easy to put together. You just need the right ingredients. This is my personal adapted recipe. No need to follow exactly, customize and enjoy.

We love this on Christmas Eve, since Christmas day is a meat fest.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6 depending on amount of seafood)

Base
- 1 Small Onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced (more or less depending on personal taste)
- 4 white mushrooms, diced
- 2-3 tablespoons of Fresh Herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley)

Broth
- 28 oz tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 bottle dry white wine
- 3-4 cups fish stock

Seafood - 3-4 pounds mixed shell fish, fillet fish, etc. I use one lobster (chopped by fish monger), swordfish fillet in 1 inch dices, 18 clams and 12 tiger shrimp.

Method
Saute base ingredients in olive oil until soft. Add broth ingredients and bring to a vigorous simmer, covered for 20 mins.

Cooking the seafood is about timing. Clams/mussels should always go in first as they take the longest. Crab and Lobster next followed by fish. Shrimp always last, they take 1-2 minutes in simmering broth. Keep and eye on things and don't overcook.

Serve in bowls with bread, or accompany with buttered pasta.