Recipes: Cioppino, Red Snapper Soup

Cioppino

Serves 6 to 8 as a main course.

Note: Juggle the seafood proportions to meet your budget or preference. Mussels or clams, shrimp and at least one fish, such as halibut, are essential. For fish stock, you can substitute a mixture of 2 parts of water or chicken stock to 1 part clam juice. Pernod is a licorice-flavored liqueur.

• 1¹/₂quarts fish stock, divided

• Pinch saffron or turmeric

• 6 tbsp. olive oil, or as needed, divided

• 5 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1 head fennel, sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced in 2-in. pieces

• Coarse salt

• 1 tbsp. fennel seed

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1 (28-oz.) can whole plum tomatoes, drained and chopped

• 2 c. dry white wine

• 2 tbsp. Pernod, if desired

• Freshly ground black pepper

• ¹/₄c. coarsely chopped Italian parsley

• 3 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil

• 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh tarragon

• 2 lb. mussels or littleneck clams

• ¹/₂lb. squid, cut into rings

•1 lb. halibut fillet, skinned, cut into 1 1/2-in. pieces

• 1 lb. sea scallops

• ¹/₂ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Simmer 2 cups stock with saffron in a small saucepan about 5 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate, dry pan, toast fennel seed until fragrant. Add the toasted seed, bay leaf and oregano to vegetables. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until paste darkens a bit, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, white wine, Pernod and the saffron-flavored stock; stir thoroughly.

Add remaining stock and whole jalapeños and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid has been reduced by half. Cover pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Skim the fat from the soup. Add parsley, basil and tarragon. Add mussels or clams and simmer until they open, about 3 minutes (discard any unopened ones). Add squid and shrimp, and heat through.

Meanwhile, season halibut and scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté fish, without stirring, until browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook another 30 seconds. Fish will be slightly underdone.

Melt the butter in the broth, stirring as it melts.

Remove bay leaf and jalapeños from pot. Evenly distribute seafood into bowls. Pour broth over fish in bowls.

Red Snapper Soup

Serves 6 as a main course.

Note: This has been served at Chicago's Drake Hotel since it opened in 1933. The Drake adapted it from Philadelphia's Bookbinders restaurant, which uses snapping turtle rather than fish.

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 5 celery ribs, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 onions, chopped fine, divided

• ¹/₂red bell pepper, chopped

• ¹/₂green bell pepper, chopped

• 1 bay leaf

• 3 tbsp. tomato paste

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

• 2 tsp. chopped cilantro

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp. flour

• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

• Salt

• 1 to 2 (10-oz.) red snapper fillets

Directions

To make soup base: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, 2 chopped celery ribs, garlic, onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper; cook, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Stir in peppercorns, bay leaf, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and cilantro; cook 2 minutes and add 7 cups of the vegetable broth. Heat to a boil.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth; discard solids and return broth to pot.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour and cornstarch; cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 1 cup broth until mixture is smooth. Add mixture to soup base; cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.