Giovanni's Family Cioppino Recipe

Ingredients (serves 6):

1 pound Large shrimp
2 pounds Clams (Manilla or Littleneck)
2 whole cooked Dungeness crab (cleaned and cracked)
1 whole Par cooked lobster steamed, cleaned and split. (Optional)
½ pound live mussels (black or green)
¾ pounds large sea scallops
1 ½ pounds cubed fresh Halibut, Sea Bass or Snapper. (Gio recommends Halibut Cheeks!)
4 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 cups clam juice or fish stock
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
½ chopped yellow onion
6 cloves garlic minced
2 celery stalks chopped.
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp. Black Pepper
5 bay Leaves
¼ cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1 cup red wine
½ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce (optional)

Cooking Directions:

Sauté' onion, in olive oil in large pot until just soft, then add chopped garlic, cubed fish, shrimp and scallops sauté for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add clams, mussels, crab, and lobster for another 2 minutes. Add clam juice, tomatoes, red wine, celery, bay leaves, parsley, Oregano, Red pepper, and Tabasco. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Add fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Top with Fresh Parsley, and a drizzle of olive oil. and served with warm toasted Sourdough bread.