Easy Cioppino for Two
By: Pamela Steed Hill
Published: Saturday, December 31, 2011 - 6:09pm

Ingredients




2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 14.5-oz. can of petite-diced tomatoes with juice
1 8-oz. bottle of clam juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp dried Italian herbs (such as oregano, basil, thyme, and roasemary)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 littleneck clams
6 mussels
6 peeled, deveined medium shrimp
1/4 lb halibut, cut into bite-sized chunks

Preparation

1 Heat a medium pot or deep skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. 2 Add the tomatoes, clam juice, wine, herbs, and pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. 3 Cover and simmer slowly 30 minutes. (Decrease the heat if the stew begins to boil.) 4 Bring the stew to a simmer and add the clams. Cover and cook 6 minutes. Add the mussels and cook until the clams and mussels open, about 3 minutes. 5 Add the shrimp and halibut and cook until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. (Discard any shellfish that do not open.) 6 Divide the stew between 2 shallow bowls and serve with warm, crusty bread, if desired.

About

Cioppino is a simple, flavorful seafood stew that comes together quickly without much fuss. This recipe calls for clams, mussels, shrimp, and halibut—all common ingredients in traditional cioppino. Other classic ingredients include crab, scallops, and cod. Choose your favorites for a delicious, light, and easy dinner.  
Note: Littleneck clams have hard, thick shells that take longer to open than soft-shelled clams when cooked. Allow 8-10 minutes for these clams to open. 
The recipe is easily doubled to serve four.