Looking out at the San Francisco Bay watching ships sail under the bridges, I am reminded of our maritime culture and how lucky it is to be here when a seafood craving strikes. Sometimes fresh oysters, other times sashimi, occaisionally dungenous crab and often mussels with frites, no matter what ocean delicacy I have on my mind to devour, San Francisco is mermaid heaven in the seafood we have available.As many know, a uniquely San Franciscan dish that celebrates the treasures of the sea is cioppino. According to the lore, it came about sometime in the 1800's when Italian immigrant fisherman chipped in some of their catches to make a spicy stew. The recipe itself plays on the fish stews of Italy, France and Spain, then takes its own California twist.
Last weekend my favorite chef in San Francisco, Curtis, whipped up a batch of his own delicious cioppino to satisfy our seafood cravings. He started the stew base by sizzling up a special blend of dried spices, including dried chilies and Old Bay seasoning, along with onions and garlic. Then he added chicken stock, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and green pepper, giving the cioppino its deep red hue. As is key with any seafood dish, for their freshness, textures and colors he selected shrimp, bay scallops, mussels and cod fish. Topped off with a chiffonade of basil and Italian parsley, we were enjoying our steamy hot bowls of this San Francisco treat in less than an hour.
It was a little bit like a shark feeding frenzy, that cioppino was so good. After indulging in two huge bowls, my seafood craving was satisfied and returned below the surface...for now. (Jaws theme music plays.)
