Italian-American · main

Cioppino-Style Seafood Stew

Cioppino-Style Seafood Stew reads umami 5.7, marine & briny 5.5 and salinity 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 51 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.7 · Marine & Briny 5.5 · Salinity 4.8 · Allium 3.9 · Richness 3.6 · Sourness 2.7 · Fruity 2.6 · Sweetness 2.5 · Herbaceous 2.4 · Citrus 2.3 · Floral 1.8 · Funk & Ferment 1.8 · Heat 1.5 · Earthy 1.4 · Warm Spice 1.2 · Bitterness 0.9 · Nutty 0.8

What's in it (16)

• olive oil — 41 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• fennel bulb — 100 g
• garlic — 12 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• tomato paste — 44 g
• dry white wine — 237 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• bottles of clam juice — 454 g
• bay — 2 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• mussels — 907 g
• cod fillets — 454 g
• shrimp — 454 g
• parsley — 15 g

Time & effort: about 51 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 87.2 kcal, 13.2 g protein, 1.1 g fat, 4.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 6-7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until it darkens a shade and smells toasty, about 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, clam juice, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the broth tastes deep and well-married, 20-22 minutes.
6. Nestle the mussels into the broth, cover the pot, and cook until the shells open, 5-6 minutes; discard any that stay shut.
7. Nestle the cod chunks into the broth around the mussels, cover, and cook until the fish is just opaque and flakes easily, 4-5 minutes (internal temperature 145 F).
8. Add the shrimp, cover, and cook until pink and opaque throughout, 3-4 minutes.
9. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the parsley, and taste for salt. Ladle into wide bowls with plenty of broth and serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Seafood Cioppino — Italian-American
• Moules Marinières — French
• Gazpacho-Style Shrimp — Spanish
• Redfish Courtbouillon — Cajun/Creole
• Salada de Polvo — Portuguese

Keep reading: what umami, marine & briny, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.