Cioppino versatile, simple meal

Cioppino is an Italian-American seafood stew that most likely originated on fishing boats as a one-pot meal that fishermen would cook up from the catch of the day.

That’s probably why I like it so much. It is so easy, you could literally pull it together on a tiny boat, with little equipment or attentiveness required. Yet despite its humble simplicity, a bowl of cioppino is gloriously alluring and impressive looking, with chunks of fresh fish and shellfish piled in a tomato-rich broth fragrant with garlic, herbs and aromatic vegetables.

It is one of those dishes you can play with depending on your preferences and the ingredients you have on hand. Instead of the onion, celery and red bell pepper I use in the accompanying recipe, for example, you could use shallots, leeks, fennel and/or green bell pepper.

You don’t have to be exact about the proportions of tomato and broth. Make it as thickly tomato-y as you like by adding more tomato paste or additional chopped tomatoes, or hold back on them a bit to make it more broth-y. Most important, because the dish was born to celebrate seafood, choose the fish or shellfish that looks best at the market the day you plan to serve it. Just about any type will work.

On the table in less than an hour, cioppino is perfect for weeknights. But it is also ideal for serving to guests, because you can make the soup base in advance and refrigerate or freeze it. Then all you need to do is bring it back to barely bubbling and add the fish right before you are ready to eat. Serve it with a hunk of crusty bread, as I am certain the Italian fishermen did.

Cioppino

6 to 8 servings (makes 12 cups).

Serve with a hunk of crusty Italian bread.

MAKE AHEAD: The clams need to soak in cold water for 1 hour. The soup base can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance; reheat until barely bubbling, then add the seafood.

From registered nutritionist and cookbook author Ellie Krieger.

12 littleneck or Manila clams

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1/2 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (may substitute 1 teaspoon dried)

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

14 ounces canned, no-salt-added diced tomatoes, plus their juices

3 cups homemade or no-salt-added fish stock

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt (optional), depending on the saltiness of your fish stock

8 ounces peeled and deveined large (raw) shrimp

1 pound skinless halibut fillet, cut into 1 1/2 -inch chunks

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Soak the clams in a deep bowl of cold water for 1 hour, so they can discharge any grit. Discard any clams that do not close when gently tapped.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste until well incorporated, then add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high; bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, and the fish stock; once the mixture returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the ingredients have melded and the mixture has slightly thickened. Add the pepper, then add salt if needed.

(At this point, the soup base can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Lift the clams out of the water to drain them. Add to the soup base; cover and cook until the clams begin to open, 5 to 7 minutes. Gently stir in the shrimp and fish. Increase the heat to medium; once the mixture begins to bubble at the edges, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, just until the shrimp and fish are just opaque and all of the clams have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and any unopened clams.

Divide among individual wide, shallow bowls. Garnish with the parsley; serve hot.

Nutrition Per serving (based on 8): 180 calories, 22 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar