I’m proud to share this recipe development for a classic Italian seafood stew — a perfect, showstopping main for a Feast of the Seven Fishes. Rich with clams, mussels, shrimp, and salmon, this hearty cioppino is made for gathering with friends and family. Serve it with plenty of crusty bread to soak up every drop of the fragrant broth. This post was sponsored by DaVinci Wine. All opinions, recipes, and photos are my own.
When a longtime friend who usually dislikes seafood insisted I recreate the seafood stew her Italian-American husband makes, I listened. That stew is today’s Cioppino — an Italian seafood stew that blends two food cultures. My friend Ali grew up in Prince Edward Island, where fishing shapes daily life, and she married Brian, an Italian-American who brought his family’s recipes to their kitchen. On a visit last year, Brian made a cioppino so memorable even Ali — a lifelong seafood skeptic — declared it magnificent. After she urged me to include his version for my Feast of the Seven Fishes project with DaVinci, I dug into Brian’s technique and adapted it for a meat-free holiday while keeping its rich, sausage-like flavor.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a North American Italian-American tradition centered on a meatless Christmas Eve meal. In place of meat, families serve multiple fish dishes so the evening stays festive and filling. Cioppino feels made for that kind of celebration: it’s communal, interactive, and built for sharing around a table.
The trick to Brian’s cioppino was the tomato and wine base he used, originally simmered with sausage. To honor the meatless spirit of the Feast, I reproduced the savory, aromatic profile using olive oil and the spices typical of sausage — fennel, red pepper flakes, and garlic — so the sauce still tastes lush and complex without actual meat. The result is a lush seafood and tomato broth brimming with clams, mussels, shrimp, and salmon. Cioppino is a social dish: diners pull shells from the bowl, extract the meat, and discard shells into a communal bowl. Bite shrimp off the tail, spoon up tender chunks of salmon, and finish by mopping the bowl with crusty bread. It’s a meal that creates memories.
Cook’s Notes
- Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list. The steps are straightforward and the results are worth it.
- For the deepest flavor, make the tomato-and-wine base at least 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it before adding seafood. This resting time lets the flavors meld.
- Even if mussels are sold as “de-bearded,” check for fuzzy beards and remove them by pulling toward the hinge of the shell. A paper towel helps if they’re slippery.
- Scrub the shells of clams and mussels well before cooking to remove sand and debris.
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Cioppino – Italian Seafood Stew
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic, in their peels, lightly smashed
- 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
- 2 shallots, peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups DaVinci Chianti
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes in juices
- 4 cups fish stock, homemade or purchased
- 2 stems fresh parsley, plus extra for serving
- 2 stems fresh basil, plus extra for serving
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound Littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 pound large shrimp (32 count per pound), peeled and deveined
- 1 ½ pounds fresh boneless, skinless salmon filets, cut into 2-inch chunks
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or braiser over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and fennel seeds and toast until fragrant. Add the smashed garlic, diced onion, shallots, and kosher salt. Sauté gently, stirring frequently, until the onions are semi-translucent and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
- Raise the heat to high and pour in the Chianti. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 1–2 minutes until the wine reduces slightly. Stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes with their juices, and the fish stock. Add the fresh herbs and bay leaf and return the pot to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 30 minutes. At this point you can refrigerate the base for up to 3 days to deepen the flavors.
- About 30–45 minutes before serving, bring the soup base back to a simmer. Add the clams and mussels, stir, cover, and cook until they begin to open. Add the shrimp and salmon, and simmer gently until the shrimp and fish are just cooked through. Discard any mussels or clams that remain closed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more crushed red pepper if desired. Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use.
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Be sure to check DaVinci’s Facebook page and website, and Foodie with Family for the rest of the Feast of the Seven Fishes recipes I developed for DaVinci. Each dish stands on its own and together they make a festive feast. Buon Appetito!
