Cioppino

[SamFamAustin]

"Italian Seafood Stew with octopus, calamari, shrimp, bay scallops and mussels with garlic French bread."

Now I'm a newbie to the world of southern Italian seafood recipes, but when saw this it knocked my Crocs plum off my feet. I be feeling frisky already. R-r-r-r-r-r!!!!

So in honor of you wonderful people visiting the Abaco, a bunch of us are having Cioppino on Friday evening.
-sammie

[Abacouple]

Sounds like the equivilent of a seafood chitlins, goat tripe and sausage stew. Doesn't really strike a chord with me, but enjoy.:(

[HALF-A-HAMIAN]

Can't the Ities make their own bread?

[BahamaAngie]

We do have our own delicious Italian bread. And Abacocouple I agree. Whenever they made some of those dishes on Christmas Eve, I passed.

[Marty]

That sounds like a great recipe. Just don't cook it. Throw it in a cooler and get on the boat. Great bait mix. :rolleyes: Feed the bread to the gulls...or use it to absorb the Kalik.:D

[SamFamAustin]

LOL, would some fish heads work for ya then? A few bay boogers (oysters)? Some mullet ovaries (poor man's caviar)?

I'm sure the chef would throw in a handful of snail guts (conch) if he had some!

It takes two days to make such a glorious mess ... and the octopus has to be cooked for hours in boiling water with used wine bottle corks. Of course, that involves ... um ... producing lots of corks! The ingredients and wine consumption make it the most expensive thing on the deli menu.

But by then you don't care WHAT'S in the soup ... :eek:

[Abacouple]

I quit drinking. I just sniff the cork and hit myself in the head with the bottle.

[SamFamAustin]

I respect that ... and many people do not care for weird seafood ... or can't eat some kinds due to health issues.

One fellow we had as visitor last week was such a person but we got him hooked on Mahi-Mahi. He refused to call it by a right name and called it "Mooey Mooey" for some odd reason, which sounded absolutely hilarious, but he was very happy.

And last night I talked with an ole boy with one of those Bertram battlewagons (read: nice offshore fishing boat) and he said "no drinking on the boat" and he did not eat any seafood of any kind ... catch and release mostly ... which I thought was strange for a sailor but was perfectly fine with me. He said I could keep a Mahi-Mahi though!

/sam
Mooooooooey! :p

[BahamaAngie]

I quit drinking. I just sniff the cork and hit myself in the head with the bottle.

See, I said I have a sick sense of humor. That was comical. Good for you to stop drinking....I don't like being buzzed but I like to drink.:confused:

[Marty]

Fish heads would work great. We can hand-line a few Jimmy's to steam up, then snort back a few boogers with some fresh lemon and hot sauce. ****, you're making me hungry now!

[tim abbott]

I love cioppino & zuppa de peshe(sp)

The best cioppino I had was in Seal Beach, Ca, the best zuppa de peshe was in Tavares, Fl

I'm gettin hungry!

Tim Abbott

[BahamaAngie]

I believe it is Zuppa de pesce and my sons make a good one! (I only pick the shrimp out....hopefully "wild ones" hee...hee).

[SamFamAustin]

The cioppino turned out very well, although a wee bit rough on the ole tummy I must say ... but let's not go there. It was very similar to a seafood caldo the Mexicans serve down here, except that more fish and less bait would have been in caldo, and caldo is usually spiced up with a few hot peppers. A truly awesome experience ... but now I'm back in BBQ mode!

Like trying to put black grill marks on a yellowfin tuna steak without actually cooking it! I start the fire early and wrap some squash (acorn, etc.) halved and seasoned with butter and spice on the inside, wrapped in foil. Onions can be good that way, sometimes without the foil if you don't turn them into carbon. And how about BBQ peach halves lightly toasted for desert with a plop of vanilla ice cream? Yum.

I'll go back to the soups, caldo, and cioppino when it cools off I think. /sam

[Gayleupstairs]

We do a northwest version of cioppino here in Seattle. It has been a family New Year's Eve and Day tradition for 3 generations in my family. We start with a good hardy tomato/veggie stock (around 2 gallons - you need a BIG pot to make this in!), well seasoned with a bit of kick, and add dungeness crab legs and claws, shrimp, mussels, small steamer clams, and chunks of a nice, firm white fish like halibut. Oysters are held on the side for those who like to add them. We don't put them into the broth because they add a stong flavor of their own and many in the crew don't like them very much.

Serve in big bowls with cute little handmade (by my Dad in the 60's) cracking hammers and wooden boards for getting stuff out of the shells, looks of good crusty bread for sopping up the broth and BIBS for everyone, regardless of age! WOW - made myself wish it was closer to January. This is a pretty spendy dish to make up in the quantity we do, so it is a once-a-year treat that everyone looks forward to. The pot usually lasts through New Year's Eve family feast and into game watching time the next day.

[BahamaAngie]

That sounds real good especially with those crab legs.

[SamFamAustin]

You mentioned crab legs ... oh man I love the dungeness and snow and all of them, although king crab is a little over-rated I think. Thanks GayleUpstairs!

[BahamaAngie]

Had dungeness the other day....made like stuffed aritchokes are made, yummy! Sammie if you had seen the crab legs we had in HI you would have been impressed. It was a buffet, with these huge crab legs and prime ribs and unlimited champagne....it was so good!

[vharrison]

You mentioned crab legs ...

Don't forget Stone Crabs! On opening day we go to the dock and get 5 lbs, bring them home and just stand over the sink and eat'm till they are gone. Never do sit down. Ha!

[BahamaAngie]

Yummy!

[SamFamAustin]

I love stone crabs and the fact that they only harvest one claw and let the crab live to grow another one. Have to be careful though, those claws pack a powerful grip. Quite expensive in these parts, though.

And I understand the part about eating over the sink. When I get into my crab frenzy, there's shell and little white flecks of meat flying in all directions. I need a shower after all that fun! I can turn a restaurant booth into a war zone I'm telling ya. :rolleyes:
-sam

[BahamaAngie]

We went to Pete's Pub one year with some friends that we met in TC and ordered lunch and than this one guy brought out a small cooler with the crab legs in and shared. Wow, they were goooood!

[Gayleupstairs]

I'm a true northwesterner - only dungeness for me. In a pinch, when nothing else is available, I'll stoop to eat king or snow legs and claws, but they just aren't as sweet or meaty. The others seem stringy and dry in comparison to dungeness. I've only had stone crab claws a couple of times in Florida, but they seem very pleasant. Still not my beloved dungeness, but definitely edible!