Oh, yum! We love this cioppino. It's delicious with just a simple crusty artisan bread to dunk in the broth. My family likes it though with a salad & Green Goddess dressing.

CIOPPINO

¼ Cup Olive Oil
2 Onions, Chopped Small
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Teaspoon Oregano
1-1/2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1-1/2 Cups Red Wine (I use Trinchero Family Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 Cup Chicken Broth
1 Cup Seafood Stock
1 28-Ounce Can of Whole Plum Tomatoes, juice reserved
12 Quahog Clams
¾ Pound Shrimp, Peeled, De-veined but with the tail left on
1 Pound Diver Scallops
1-1/2 Pounds Alaskan King Crab, in shell & cut into 2"-3" Pieces
1 Pound Snapper, Cut Into 2" Pieces
Basil, One Good-Sized Bunch, cut into a chiffonade
Lemon Slices, to garnish

In the olive oil, sauté the onions with the oregano, salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes for about 5 minutes or until onions are nicely wilted. Add garlic & sauté another minute. Then, stir in the tomato paste. Add the red wine & simmer, reduce heat & reduce to about half (about 5-7 minutes).

Add the chicken broth, seafood stock, & tomatoes plus the reserved juices. Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 30 minutes. After simmering, the broth may be refrigerated & reheated to continue finishing the dish & cooking the seafood.

Bring the broth to a strong simmer & add the crab and clams. Cover & cook for 5-10 minutes. After 5 minutes start checking to see if the clams have opened. Discard any clams that haven't opened after 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of simmering, remove the clams & crab with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Put the shrimp, scallops, & snapper into the broth, cover & simmer for about 5 minutes. Return crab & clams to the stock pot, stir & simmer for another 2 minutes.

Pour into large serving bowl & top with the basil chiffinade. Garnish with the lemon slices. Serve with warm bread.

Basil Green Goddess Dressing

1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)**
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt ** (I skipped)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
3 heads Bibb lettuce
2 to 3 tomatoes

Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)

Cut each head of lettuce into quarters, remove the cores, and arrange on salad plates. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and add to the plates. Pour on the dressing and serve.

**Notes: I got 1/4 c. lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon. And I skipped the salt due to the Anchovy Paste.

/tricia

This is from Jasper White's '50 Chowders' & is excellent.

NEW ENGLAND FISH CHOWDER by Jasper White

4 ounces meaty salt pork, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions (14 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch dice
6 to 8 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 tablespoon)
2 dried bay leaves
2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEI, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/3-inch thick
5 cups Strong Fish Stock, Traditional Fish Stock, Chicken Stock, or water (as a last resort)
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds skinless haddock or cod fillets, preferably over 1 inch thick, pin bones removed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or up to 2 cups if desired)

For garnish

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced salt pork. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the pork is a crisp golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cracklings to a small ovenproof dish, leaving the fat in the pot, and reserve until later.

2. Add the butter, onions, savory or thyme, and bay leaves to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onions and softened but not browned.

3. Add the potatoes and stock. If the stock doesn't cover the potatoes, add just enough water to cover them. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the stock hasn't thickened lightly, smash a few of the potato slices against the side of the pot and cook for a minute or two longer to release their starch. Reduce the heat to low and season assertively with salt and pepper (you want to almost over season the chowder at this point to avoid having to stir it much once the fish is added). Add the fish fillets and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and allow the chowder to sit for 10 minutes (the fish will finish cooking during this time).

4. Gently stir in the cream and taste for salt and pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature, allowing the flavors to meld.

5. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Warm the cracklings in a low oven (200 F) for a few minutes.

6. Use a slotted spoon to mound the chunks of fish, the onions, and potatoes in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls, and ladle the creamy broth around. Scatter the cracklings over the individual servings and finish each with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and minced chives.

/tricia

Have I got a recipe for you. DS#1 inhales this. Please note my modifications at the end. We first had this at a small restaurant in Cambria, California, and I had to recreate it. First time I used up some leftover lox - not for the salt-averse!

ROBIN'S SALMON BISQUE - Robin's Restaurant

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sliced leeks
1/2 LB sliced mushrooms
1 Tblsp crushed garlic
46 ozs clam juice or fish stock
4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cups salmon filet cut into 1/2 into half inch cubes
4 cups cream
1/4 cup flour
Fresh dill sprigs for garnish

Method: Melt butter in large pot. Add leeks, mushrooms, & garlic. Saute for approximately 5 minutes. Add clam juice, tomatoes, parsley, dill & salt & pepper. Heat broth to almost boiling & add salmon. Cook salmon for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cream & whisk in flour. Reheat. To serve, garnish with fresh dill sprigs. Makes 12 servings.

Jessica's mods: I cut this way down, to about a third of the portions. I also used a container of TJ's (organic) creamy tomato soup in place of the tomatoes and cream, because I HAD to do some pantry clean-out, and I liked how it came out. YMMV.

Here is a link that might be useful: Robin's Restaurant, Cambria