Italian-American · main

Seafood Cioppino

Seafood Cioppino reads umami 6.9, marine & briny 5.8 and salinity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 48 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.9 · Marine & Briny 5.8 · Salinity 5.2 · Richness 3.8 · Allium 3.7 · Sweetness 2.7 · Sourness 2.6 · Fruity 2.5 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Citrus 2.2 · Floral 1.8 · Funk & Ferment 1.8 · Earthy 1.5 · Heat 1.4 · Bitterness 0.9 · Nutty 0.8 · Warm Spice 0.7

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 — 30 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• dry white wine — 237 g
• bottles of clam juice — 473 g
• bay — 2 g
• salt — 5 g
• shelled clams — 454 g
• mussels — 454 g
• cod fillets — 454 g
• shrimp — 454 g
• parsley — 15 g

Time & effort: about 48 min (46 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 76.3 kcal, 11.7 g protein, 0.8 g fat, 3.8 g carbs

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

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 7-8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly and coats the vegetables, 1-2 minutes.
3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, white wine, and clam juice; add the bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until slightly thickened and the raw wine smell is gone, 20-25 minutes.
4. While the broth simmers, scrub the clams and mussels under cold water, discarding any that don't close when tapped, and pull the beards from the mussels. Pat the cod and shrimp dry and set both aside separately.
5. Raise the heat to bring the broth back to a steady simmer. Add the clams first, cover, and cook until they just begin to open, 4-5 minutes.
6. Add the mussels and cod chunks, cover, and simmer until the mussels open and the cod turns opaque and flakes easily, 5-6 minutes.
7. Nestle in the shrimp, cover, and cook until the shrimp are pink and just opaque throughout and any remaining shellfish have opened, 3-4 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and any clams or mussels that stayed shut.
8. Stir in the parsley, taste the broth, and add more salt if needed. Ladle into wide bowls, dividing the seafood evenly, and serve immediately, scattered with extra parsley and the reserved fennel fronds.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Cioppino-Style Seafood Stew — Italian-American
• Moules Marinières — French
• Acadiana Seafood Gumbo — Cajun/Creole
• Tiella di Riso, Patate e Cozze — Italian · Puglia
• Harina con Cangrejo (Cornmeal with Crab) — Cuban

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.