Craving Ellie is a small group. There are only 19 of us. That means that every 19 weeks one member gets to pick an Ellie recipe. That’s the good news!! And the bad news?? We get to pick every 19 weeks. And that is HARD!! Sort of. But if there is a seafood recipe in there, it is usually going to be my pick. I don’t think I could ever get enough seafood – shrimp, crabs, crawfish (although that is technically NOT seafood), and any kind of fish. It doesn’s surprise any of the other members either.

    Cioppino

“is an Italian fish stew with a savoury tomato and wine broth chock full of fish and shellfish.” says Ellie!!

And it is – shrimp, scallops, and halibut, eh… cod, okya, fine – catfish.

    1 tbl olive oil
    1 large onion, chopped
    2 stalks celery, chopped
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    1 tbl chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried {I used ground ’cause that’s all I had.}
    1 bay leaf
    1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    1 tbl tomato pasate
    1 cup dry white wine
    2 14.5 oz cans no-sald-added diced tomatoes
    1 cup fish stock or water
    1 Tbl red wine vinegar
    3/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp freshly ground balck pepper
    1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    1/2 pound scallops
    1/2 lb skinless halibut fillet, cut into 1″ chunks {Couldn’t find halibut, cod looked dry, used catfish}
    2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
    1 loaf whole-wheat Italian bread

Heat the olive oil over the medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, an additional 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat for 3 mintues.
Add the tomatoes with their juices and the fish stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, salt, and pepper. This base may be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When ready to serve, reheat the soup base on the stovetop, if necessary, and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp, scallops, and fish. Reduce the heat and simmer, until everything is just cooked, about 5 minutes. Divide among 4 bowls and garnish with the parsley. Serve with the bread.

So what’s the verdict on this one?? I liked it but I didn’t love it.

    1. Using catfish was a mistake. The flavor of the catfish is way too strong for this dish. Next time – cod. I don’t think I have ever seen halibut anywhere near here.
    2. I think I would use sea scallops instead of bay scallops next time. The texture would be better.
    3. I used some focaccia that I had made earlier that had Italian seasoning in the dough. It was really good with the stew. Added great flavor.

I so hope the other CEinMB members liked this dish. I tried to chose something different but good. Check theirs out and see if I got it right.

And in 19 weeks I get to pick again. Better start looking at those recipes!!!!

NaBloPoMo day 18.