Cioppino - Submitted by Tim and Carrie Sypowicz
Italian Fish Stew

To make a good Cioppino you first have to make a good fresh Sicilian tomato sauce. This part of the recipe makes about five quarts, so freeze what you don’t use for the next time. This sauce is also good for pastas and other dishes.

1/4 cup olive oil
4-5 cloves of garlic (more if your really Italian)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
9 cups cored and chopped very ripe fresh tomatoes
4 28-oz cans whole tomatoes, crushed with juice
1/2 cup dry white wine(chardonnay is good)
1 cup fresh chicken stock
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. dried rosemary
6 TBLS of real butter (margarine is OK)
salt and pepper to taste (I never use the salt)

Heat a 8-10 quart heavy bottom pot and the oil, garlic, and onion. Sauté’ until the onion is clear. Add the remaining ingredients except the salt, pepper, and butter. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, uncovered for four hours, stirring often. Stir in the butter and then salt and pepper to taste.

Once this is complete, you are ready to make Cioppino.

1 1/2 pounds clams
1 1/2 pounds mussels
2 TBLS olive oil
5 cloves of garlic (peeled and sliced)[more if you dare]
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 bottle clam juice
4 TBLS butter
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2-3 cups fresh Sicilian tomato sauce
1 pound each, cod, scallops, sword fish, rock cod, or any other types of fish that you may prefer( these are the types we use but you can substitute other types of fish)
2 pounds Shrimp uncooked(fresh if you can get them)

Remove the fuzzy beards from the clams and mussels if they are still in the shells. Heat a 8 Quart pot and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and two of the cloves of garlic, for 15 seconds, add the clams. Add 1/4 cup of the vermouth cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Set aside the clams and the nectar separately. Cook the mussels in the same manner using the same pot. Drain and separate in the same manner as the clams.

Return the pot to the burner along with both nectars, chicken stock, clam juice, butter, parsley, fresh Sicilian tomato sauce, and any remaining garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered, for three minutes. Add the fish, clams, mussels, and shrimp and cook thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. This great with some French bread(the way the Italians eat this is in a bowl with sour French bread) or with pasta, either way you will enjoy this very special dish.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
Recipe courtesy Rocco Despirito

8 cups homemade chicken broth
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
3 eggs, plus 5 eggs
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 cups grated Parmesan, plus 1 cup
2 medium heads escarole, cleaned and chopped

In a separate pot over medium heat, bring the broth to a boil. In a separate large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, 3 eggs, bread crumbs, basil, parsley and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Mix well and form into bite-size balls. Drop the balls into the broth. Add escarole into broth. When meatballs rise to the top, they are cooked, about 6 to 7 minutes. When escarole is wilted it is done. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 5 eggs with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Pour this mixture into the soup, stirring continuously, until the egg is cooked.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes