Cioppino

I am doing the first of our Food and Wine Series at the Christopher Peacock Cabinetry Showroom in Greenwich tomorrow and wanted to share a recipe that we will be sampling.

Terlato Vineyards is providing the wines and they recommend their Terlato Family Vineyards Syrah.

To register for any of the upcoming classes, you can visit my website www.timetoeat.info

Here's the recipe:

Cioppino

4 cubes frozen garlic
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Greek Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2-teaspoons black pepper
1/4-cup olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
1 can diced tomatoes with herbs
1 cup bottled clam juice
1-2 cups chicken broth
1 lb. king crab legs
18 small (2-inch) hard-shelled clams (littlenecks) scrubbed
1 lb skinless red snapper or halibut fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb large shrimp (16 to 20), Peeled, cleaned and deveined.
3/4 lb bay (small) scallops
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
crusty bread (Sourdough if you can find it)


Cook garlic, onions, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes with salt and pepper in oil in a large heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by about half, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, clam juice, and broth and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While stew is simmering, cut crab legs through shell into 2- to 3-inch pieces with kitchen shears. Add crab pieces and clams to stew and simmer, covered, until clams just open, 5 to 8 minutes, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring opened clams to a bowl with tongs or a slotted spoon. (Discard any unopened clams after 8 minutes.)

Lightly season fish fillets, shrimp, and scallops with salt and add to stew, then simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf, then return clams to pot and gently stir in parsley and basil.

Serve cioppino immediately in large soup bowls with thick slices of sourdough bread.

Terlato Family Vineyards Syrah

The Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County provides the ideal soil and climate for Syrah, similar to France’s Rhône Valley. Luscious Syrah fruit is fermented for 10 days in open top tanks with daily hand punch downs to give the wine more contact with the lees. It is then fermented for 17 months in 100% French oak barrels, 30% of them new. The resulting wine is concentrated and flavorful, with soft tannins and a long finish.


Enjoy!!