Rachael Ray's Cioppino(fish stew) - healthy+YUM-O!

Towanda2

I'm not a fish lover but I'm trying to eat more fish, for health and weight loss. I saw Rachael make this on TV and decided to try it. It was delicious! If you follow the South Beach diet this is a perfect Phase 1 recipe without the bread. I replaced all the fish and seafood with 2 pounds of hake (similar to cod) and instead of bread I served it over whole-wheat linguini (Whole Foods Market - almost as good as white pasta). Caution: I used much less red pepper and the dish still had some heat. I'm going to make this again tomorrow!

Cioppino: A Fine Kettle of Fish Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

I am half Sicilian and so a large part of the family does "The Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve. I do not have the patience to make seven dishes. I make this instead -- it uses 5 varieties of seafood, all in one pot. Now that's a happy holiday!

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 healthy servings

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 to 3 flat fillets of anchovies, drained
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry white wine
1 (14-ounce) container chicken stock
1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed (about 1 tablespoon)
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 1/2 pounds cod, cut into 2-inch chunks
Salt and pepper
8 large shrimp, ask for deveined easy-peel or peel and devein
8 sea scallops
16 to 20 raw mussels, scrubbed
A loaf of fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

In a large pot over moderate heat combine oil, crushed pepper, anchovies, garlic, and bay. Let anchovies melt into oil. The anchovies act as a natural salt, the pepper flakes will infuse the oil, providing heat.
Chop celery and onion near stove and add to the pot as you work. Saute vegetables for a few minutes to begin to soften and add wine to the pot. Reduce wine a minute, then add chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to medium low.

Season fish chunks with salt and pepper. Add fish and simmer 5 minutes, giving the pot a shake now and then. Do not stir your soup with a spoon after the addition of fish or you will break it up. Add shrimp, scallops, and mussels and cover pot. Cook 10 minutes, giving the pot a good shake now and again.

Remove the lid and discard any mussels that do not open. Carefully ladle stew into shallow bowls and pass bread at the table.

purplehaze66

I also am from an Italian family and we do the feast of the seven fishes and this is one of the things I am going to make since it can feed alot! I am also doing crab cakes, fried calamarie(not so healthy) and broccolirabe with pine nuts and raisens.(Giada's recipe)I am also adding clams to the cioppino. enjoy!

dash

OMG--sounds incredible--thanks!

christineK

Sounds so great! Coming from an Italian Restaurant Family, Giada's Broccoli Rabe, sounds so good and authentic. Just wanna say, YOU be the variable, with the Ciopinno. Add or delete what you like as far as the fish and shell fish goes. Use your taste. I love Calamari in the stew and won't miss eating the fried version.

Towanda2

I love broccoli rabe! I'll have to try Giada's recipe - I make something very similar with spinach, and the recipe came from a Jewish-Italian cookbook. Of course, I now always add Rachael's "secret ingredient" - a pinch of nutmeg - whenever I cook spinach.

Spinaci con Pinoli e Passerine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Spinach with pine nuts and raisins is a classic Sephardic dish that appears
on tables in Greece, Spain, Turkey, and Italy, where it is a staple on
Venetian and Genoese menus. It is a perfect accompaniment to delicate fish
or poultry dishes and is often served at room temperature.

2-1/2 pounds spinach
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 small yellow onions or 6 green onions, minced
4 tablespoons raisins, plumped in hot water and drained
4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse the spinach well and remove the stems. Place in a large sauté pan
with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves. Cook over medium heat,
turning as needed until wilted, just a few minutes. Drain well and set
aside. Add the olive oil to the now-empty pan and place over medium heat.
Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the spinach,
raisins, and pine nuts and sauté briefly to warm through. Season with salt
and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.

Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen
Joyce Goldstein
Chronicle Books

www.epicurious.com/e_eating/e06_jewish_cooking/italian/intro.html
Epicurious Food © 1998 CondéNet Inc. All rights reserved.

purplehaze66

hey ladies just picked up Giad's new cook book Giada's family recipes. very good. I have her first book which is great also! have a wonderfully deeeelish Xmas eve and Xmas!!!