Gastronomy

Published on March 5th, 2024 | by Nikki Karamooz

1

Saffron Cioppino Stew: It’s What’s for Dinner!

The seafood stew of your dreams, this easy Cioppino stew is comfort food in a bowl! It is loaded with seafood cooked up simply in a saffron, tomato-based broth with a middle eastern twist. It’s easy enough to serve on a weeknight and one you’ll impress with on the weekends. It really is so incredibly delicious! 

Chef Nikki Karamooz

INGREDIENTS

– 1/2 cup olive oil, divided 
– 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups) 
– 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced 
– 4 cloves garlic, minced 
– 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves 
– 2 teaspoons dried oregano 
– 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes 
– 1 dried bay leaf 
– Pinch of saffron 
– 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juice, crushed 
– 1 1/4 cups dry white wine 
– 1 cup bottled clam juice 
– 1 pound cockles or Manila clams, scrubbed well 
– 1 pound mussels, scrubbed well and debearded 
– 1 pound skinless firm white fish fillets, such as halibut, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 
– 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
– Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 
– 1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves 
– 3 (2-inch) pieces orange zest, coarsely chopped 
– 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 
– 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 
– Grilled bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Step 1
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a low, wide stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, bay leaf, and saffron.

Step 2 
Add tomatoes and their liquid, wine, clam juice, and 1 1/4 cups water, and bring to a simmer.

Step 3 
Add clams and mussels; cover, simmering until shells open, 3 to 5 minutes. Season fish and shrimp with salt and pepper, and add to the pot. Cover, and simmer until fish is opaque and shrimp turn pink and begin to curl, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 4 
In a small food processor, combine parsley, orange zest, orange juice, capers, and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; process until smooth.

Step 5 
Remove pot from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with a dollop of the parsley mixture and the grilled bread.

Bon Appétit !!!


About the Author

mm

is born and raised in beautiful Los Angeles, CA. Her years of experience and knowledge in fine dining restaurants, catering companies, and private homes have been a solid foundation for her growing personal chef business. Growing up in such a diverse culinary environment, L.A.'s cuisine has served as an inspiration for many of Chef Nikki’s menus, fusing middle eastern flavors with a variation of different cuisines. Others describe her cooking as comforting, rich, and unique. She loves to emphasize seasonal, local, and exotic ingredients/products in her dishes, and is attentive to those extra details that make an ordinary meal, and extraordinary one. Her Website is www.nikkistable.com Her Instagram link is @chefniki



One Response to Saffron Cioppino Stew: It’s What’s for Dinner!

  1. Hello,
     I send you my original french recipe (published by « Taste of France ») that you can publish.

    Best regards

    Gilles DESCHAMPS
    Tél. : 033 6 24 21 80 95

    https://tasteoffrancemag.com/recipes/

    CROCUS OF NIMES
    If you’re looking to bring a little French flavour to your kitchen, we have plenty for you to choose from! Try your hand at a French classic or even some exotic French fusion cuisine. There is something for every skill level, so if you’re planning a dinner party or simply want a new weekday supper option we have great French recipes for you to taste.
    Working from home and tired of nibbling on biscuits and toast? It’s time to up your game and treat yourself to something both delicious and good for you. This combination of green olive tapenade, goat’s cheese and saffron is a blast of French sunshine on a plate.

    Ingredients

    1/2 of Pélardon (goat’s cheese) cut into slices
    Wholemeal bread – ideally pain de mie
    Green olive tapenade Picholine du Gard
    Flaked almonds from the Gard
    Sweet onion from the Cévennes – sliced
    Honey from the Cévennes
    High qualily olive oil
    Thyme and aromatic herbs from the garrigue
    Saffron
    Directions

    1Lightly sprinkle the bread with the saffron and with a dribble of olive oil.
    2Spread green tapenade on one slice.
    3Put the cheese in the middle.
    4Spread a thin layer of honey.
    5Sprinkle on some flaked almonds.
    6Garnish the slice with the sweet onion.
    7Cover with the second slice of bread.
    8Dribble on some olive oil.
    9Put it into a toasted sandwich machine or put it under the grill until the bread is golden and crusty.

    Gilles Deschamps

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to Top ↑