Cioppino- Seafood Stew with Farro

Recipe modified from LL Bean Game & Fish Cookbook by Angus Cameron & Judith Jones 1983

Serves 8-10

½ cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
10 cloves garlic, diced
1 large green pepper, chopped
6-8 shallots, diced
½ lb mushrooms, sliced
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes with liquid
6 oz. can tomato paste
2 cups fish or shellfish stock (this can be a combination of oyster & clam juices- canned or prepared)
2 cups red wine
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
½ tsp. basil ½ tsp. oregano
1 tb. cumin 1 tb. chili powder
1 ½ cup Bluebird Grain whole grain emmer-farro (cooked & drained)
3 lb. fish, filleted and cut into chunks
2 lb. small neck clams, mussels, or oysters – or all three. if using fresh shellfish reserve juices when steaming to use as juice in the stock.
1 lb. crabmeat
1 lb. shrimp, raw & shelled
4 tb. chopped parsley

Instructions

Cook emmer-farro. In pot blend 1 ½ cups Bluebird whole grain emmer-farro with 6 cups of water and dash of salt. Bring to boil then simmer for 50 minutes. Drain.

While farro is cooking
Prep vegetables, onions, fish, shrimp.

If using fresh shellfish steam in small amount of liquid (about 1-2 cups) until shells opens. Reserve liquid.

In deep pot (8 quarts), heat the oil and sauté onions, garlic, green pepper, shallots, and mushrooms until the pepper is soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, fish stock (reserved liquid from shellfish) and wine and bring to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper, basil, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Add cooked emmer-farro.

Add fish chunks and cook at a high summer until almost done, about 5 minutes.

Add crabmeat, shellfish, and shrimp and continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes but not longer than it takes for the shrimps to turn pinkish.

Garnish with minced parsley and serve, in soup bowls with both spoons and forks and with thick slices of garlic bread.

Note: Cioppino is a thick Italian fish stew. Using fresh seafood is preferred. Cioppino is traditionally served with shellfish still in its shells which brings a festive tone to the table. However, I have discovered that in a pinch canned clams and oysters work!