Cioppino

In a recent episode of Stanley Tucci’s “Searching For Italy,” when he was on the Tuscan coast that borders Liguria, he ate a seafood stew called cacciucco, prepared by chef Fabbio Picchi, who owns the restaurant in Florence. Picchi followed the cacciucco with a pasta dish tossed in the leftover sauce after the seafood had been polished off. Here I am, chatting with Picchi on a trip to Florence when travel to Italy was relatively easy. 

The dishes he prepared and that show in general, had me dreaming about going back to Italy. Since that’s not possible in this pandemic, I had to do the next best thing — cook something like it at home that might transport me for a little while to la bell’Italia. Having just returned from a vacation in the Caribbean where I ate seafood every day, I felt driven to keep up the seafood vibe and decided to make cioppino – an Italian American seafood dish with origins in San Francisco that is similar to cacciucco. So many cultures have versions of seafood stews, and aside from cacciucco, Italy also lays claim to brodetto, a fish stew from the Abruzzo region,  that’s slightly less soupy and tomato-y than cacciucco or cioppino, and is cooked in a clay vessel. I helped prepare this brodetto several years ago while on a trabocco (small wooden fishing piers that jut into the Adriatic) along Abruzzo’s coastline. To read more about trabocchi, click here.

To make the cioppino, start by softening the vegetables in olive oil — onion, garlic, celery, carrots, green pepper and some fennel.

Next add the tomatoes, white wine and seasonings. Be very generous with the basil and parsley. You can make this in a Dutch oven, or in a more shallow pan, like this one. This recipe includes seafood amounts for two very generous servings, but intentionally makes enough sauce for a whole lot more. After we scarfed down all the seafood the night I made this, there was still plenty of leftover sauce to serve over pasta the next day.

After the sauce has simmered for about an hour, add the shellfish and the rest of the seafood. You don’t have to use the same amounts or types of seafood I did. It’s a very fluid recipe and you can substitute whatever you like and eliminate whatever seafood I’ve included that you don’t like. I used cod but haddock or halibut would be great too. The cost of all this seafood can get a little pricey, but it’s a delicious splurge and would be perfect for a Lenten Friday (or Christmas Eve).  Put the shellfish in after you’ve put the rest of the seafood in, to try to keep them from getting submerged too much and hinder their opening. Place the lid on the pot and keep it at a simmer for 15 minutes, without checking or removing the lid.

After 15 minutes, check to see if the fish is cooked through. If not, put the lid back on for a few more minutes until everything is cooked properly. Some of the clams and mussels might still be closed, so put those aside in a separate pan and place it over a low heat by itself, while you portion out the cioppino, either in the pan where you cooked it, or in a tureen, gently lifting the seafood. The cod will easily fall apart unless you use a large spoon to scoop it up whole.

Serve in bowls with crusty toasted bread, smeared with olive oil and salt, or over polenta.

I made some homemade pasta to toss with the leftover sauce. It was perfect for the next evening’s meal. If I can’t have Italy right now, at least I can have pasta and cioppino!

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Cioppino

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• The amounts for the seafood are for two very generous servings. If you add more seafood to serve more people, you don’t need to increase the amount of sauce. This recipe provides enough sauce for at least three or four more servings. In fact, after we had eaten all the seafood from the Cioppino one night, my husband and I used the leftover sauce the next day and served it over homemade pasta, and there was still plenty of sauce left in the pan that I didn’t use.
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup green pepper, minced
• 1/4 cup celery, minced
• 1/2 of a large fennel bulb, sliced roughly
• 1/2 medium carrot, peeled and shredded
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 26.46 oz. box of finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 26.46 oz. box of strained tomatoes
• (or use all strained tomatoes, or all finely chopped tomatoes if you prefer)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup water (use it to swish out any remaining bits of tomato from the tomato box, jar or cans you use).
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 pound halibut, cod or similar fleshy white fish
• 1/2 pound fresh shrimp
• 1/2 pound fresh scallops
• 6 squid bodies, cut into “rings”
• a dozen mussels
• a dozen and a half clams

Instructions

1. Sauté onion, green onion, green pepper, celery, carrot, fennel and garlic in olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pan until limp.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, bay leaf, parsley, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
3. Heat to boiling and add the white wine.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer.
5. Simmer one hour, then discard the bay leaf.
6. Cut the cod, or whatever white fish you’re using, into two large pieces.
7. Scrub the clams and mussels thoroughly, removing any “beard” from the mussels.
8. Cut the squid into rings, and shell and devein the shrimp.
9. Add the clams and the mussels to the pan, then add the rest of the seafood to the tomato sauce — the squid, the shrimp, the scallops and the cod.
10. Put the lid on and let everything cook together at a simmer for 15 minutes, WITHOUT STIRRING and WITHOUT LIFTING THE LID.
11. If you stir, you will break up the codfish, which flakes apart easily when cooked.
12. Check it after 15 minutes and if the fish is all cooked, serve the cioppino in the pan you cooked it, or remove it gently to a serving tureen.
13. If some of the shellfish haven’t opened, let them continue cooking in a separate pot, which should take only a few more minutes.
14. Sprinkle with parsley and serve in bowls with plenty of toasted crusty bread smeared with olive oil and salt, or over polenta.

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Braciole

I’m not sure why it took me so long to post a recipe for braciole, because it’s something my mother-in-law Mary made almost every time we visited, during my marriage to my late husband. Mary, who was from Abruzzo, had a limited repertoire of dishes, but whatever she served was delicious. There was almost always spaghetti with meatballs and braciole, followed by a roast chicken and potatoes. Many recipes for braciole are more elaborate than hers, including ingredients like prosciutto, or hard-boiled eggs. Those are delicious practically as meals in themselves, but Mary’s braciole was a simple roll of meat, seasoned inside with only parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. They were a perfect accompaniment to the pasta that was dressed with the long-simmering sauce from the braciole.  For these braciole, I have added a bit of grated parmesan cheese to add a little more flavor, something Mary didn’t do if I remember correctly, but it’s essentially the same recipe as hers. You need a very thin piece of beef for this recipe, and you can either purchase it already sliced (as I did from my local grocery store), or buy a piece of top or bottom round, or flank steak. Slice it thinly and pound it until it’s even thinner. If you freeze the beef slightly, it’s easier to slice. Then season it with salt, pepper, minced garlic, parsley and a grating of parmesan cheese.

Roll it tightly and secure with toothpicks (or string if you prefer). Sauté in some olive oil until browned.

Then add it to your favorite tomato sauce recipe and simmer for about two hours. Serve the braciole with pasta of your choosing. In this case, I used cavatappi, but rigatoni or even spaghetti would be great too

By the way – Italian language lesson for the day – the correct pronunciation is bra-CHOH’-leh, not bra-ZHUL’, as you might have heard in some films featuring Italian Americans. Braciole is the plural of braciola. In most places in Italy, you’ll find a rolled and stuffed piece of meat or swordfish called involtini. The term braciole most likely is derived from the Italian word “brace” meaning coals or embers, and if you order braciole from a menu in much of Italy, you’ll most likely be served a grilled piece of meat. What is called involtini in Northern Italy became braciole in southern Italy — a dish made of tougher meat that was pounded and simmered for hours in tomato sauce to make it more tender. Since the majority of immigrants to the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were from Southern Italy, the term braciole took hold here. To complicate things even further, small rolls of braciole, like those I made, can be accurately called “braciolette” or little braciole – not to be confused with “braccialetti” or bracelets. Whatever you call them, they are delicious and the perfect Sunday (or any day) meal.

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Braciole

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• a few pieces of top or bottom round
• salt, pepper
• minced garlic
• minced parsley
• grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Slice the meat thinly and pound to make it even flatter.
2. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, the minced garlic and parsley and a scattering of parmesan or pecorino cheese.
3. Roll up and secure with toothpicks or string.
4. Sauté in olive oil, then add to your favorite tomato sauce recipe and simmer for two hours.
5. Serve with pasta.

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Seared Salmon

Salmon is a staple in our diet, and I typically make it in the oven, spritzing with some lemon juice, then smearing with a little Dijon mustard, dill and roasting it for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. But I recently started pan searing it and have discovered our new favorite way to eat salmon. The browning in butter makes for a crunchy top, and adds more flavor to an already distinctive fish. Start by seasoning the salmon with salt and pepper, then placing skin side UP, into a skillet that’s been coated with some olive oil, and turned to medium to high heat, as in the photo below.

After it’s been cooking for about three or four minutes, check to see if it’s browned enough to your liking. Then flip it so that the skin makes contact with the pan. Warning: This splatters a lot so be prepared to clean your cooktop after dinner is over. Place a lid on the pan and let it cook for another couple of minutes.

Remove the lid and lower the heat a bit. I wanted the butter to be the dominant flavor, so I drained the olive oil at this point, but if you don’t mind the extra calories, leave in the olive oil when you add the butter. Add the shaved garlic and lemon juice, and spoon a little of the liquid over the salmon. Sprinkle with the parsley, and place a lid on top again.

Cook for another two to three minutes and serve. Rice is always a good complement to fish, as are any number of vegetables, from squash to green beans. Serve with extra lemon.

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Seared Salmon

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• FOR TWO SERVINGS:
• 2 pieces of salmon, with skin on, total weight about 1-1/14 lbs.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• juice of 1/2 lemon, plus a few slices for garnish
• salt, pepper
• minced parsley

Instructions

1. season the salmon with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice, saving most of the lemon juice for later.
2. Turn up the heat on the skillet to medium high and place the salmon, skin side up, in the pan.
3. Let it sear for about three or four minutes, or until it forms a nice crust.
4. Using a long spatula, carefully flip the salmon over, being careful not to break the skin.
5. Turn the heat to medium, and place a lid on the pan.
6. Cook over medium heat for another two minutes.
7. Remove the lid, and drain off most of the oil (or you can leave it if you want).
8. Lower the heat to low to medium, then add the two tablespoons of butter, the garlic slices and the lemon juice.
9. Spoon a bit of the liquid over the salmon.
10. Sprinkle with parsley and place the lid on again.
11. Cook for another two to three minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.

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Vinegar Chicken with Crushed Olive Dressing

If you like olives, you’re going to love this recipe from Alison Roman and The New York Times. It’s a quick and delicious way to get a flavorful dinner on the table in 35 minutes, start to finish. Cook some rice or noodles and a side dish of vegetables while the chicken is in the oven and you’ll be ready to serve a meal fit for company, or just the family.

Make sure you use bone-in, skin-on chicken parts. The chicken skin will keep the meat from drying out at the high 450 degree temperature required. Please make the recipe as written at least once before tinkering with it. I won’t think ill of you if you use Kalamata olives rather than Castelveltrano, but I may have to send the recipe police after you if you tell me you subbed sun-dried tomatoes for the olives or curry powder for the turmeric.

More on the subject — check out this comment from a reader following the recipe as it appeared in the New York Times: “Wow! That was amazing! I didn’t have any olives so used onions instead, and I didn’t have any turmeric so substituted paprika. I also didn’t have any chicken so used free range heritage pork. We aren’t big fans of vinegar so I went with soy sauce. It was so good! Definitely a keeper recipe!!”

I’m all for improvisation, but that’s like asking for spaghetti and getting soba instead.  I think that reader just invented a whole different recipe. While your version may taste good, this one as written is a real keeper.

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Vinegar Chicken with Crushed Olive Dressing

Author: Ciao Chow Linda via Alison Roman and The New York Times

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 3 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cups green Castelvetrano olives, crushed and pitted
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 cup parsley, tender leaves and stems, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with turmeric and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Make sure chicken is skin-side up, then pour vinegar over and around chicken and place in the oven.
4. Bake chicken, without flipping, until cooked through and deeply browned all over, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, combine olives, garlic, parsley, the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.
6. Once chicken is cooked, remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer chicken to a large serving platter, leaving behind any of the juices and bits stuck to the pan.
7. Make sure the baking sheet is on a sturdy surface (the stovetop, a counter), then pour the olive mixture onto the sheet.
8. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently scrape up all the bits the chicken left behind, letting the olive mixture mingle with the rendered fat and get increasingly saucy.
9. Pour olive mixture over the chicken, then serve.

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