San Francisco Style Seafood Stew

Serves: 4│60 min

Rustic, not heavy. This seafood stew is a tomato-saffron style shellfish broth loaded with mussels, clams, shrimp, and crusty grilled bread. It’s similar to a West Coast take on a light cioppino, a famous Italian-American tomato-based seafood stew.

Ingredients

Seafood

• 1 lb mussels (450 g), cleaned & debearded

• 1 lb littleneck clams (450 g), scrubbed

• ¾ lb large shrimp (340 g), peeled & deveined

• 8–12 oysters (optional, but very Hog Island-style)

Broth Base

• 2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)

• 1 small fennel bulb, finely diced (about 1 cup / 150 g)

• 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 150 g)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ tsp red pepper flakes

• ½ tsp saffron threads

• ½ cup dry white wine (120 ml)

• 1 cup crushed San Marzano tomatoes (240 ml / 240 g)

• 3 cups seafood stock or clam juice (720 ml)

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• Salt & black pepper to taste

To Finish

• 2 tbsp butter (30 g)

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 ml)

For Serving

• 1 large baguette, halved and grilled

• Extra olive oil for brushing

Instructions

1. Build the Base

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add fennel and onion. Cook 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, saffron, and smoked paprika. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.

2. Deglaze

Pour in white wine. Let simmer 2–3 minutes until reduced by half. Add tomatoes, seafood stock, and bay leaf. Simmer gently for 15 minutes to develop flavor. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Cook the Shellfish

Add clams and mussels first. Cover and cook 4–5 minutes. When they begin to open, add shrimp (and oysters if using). Cover and cook another 2–3 minutes until shrimp are just pink. Discard any shellfish that don’t open.

4. Finish the Stew

Turn off heat. Stir in:

• Butter

• Lemon zest

• Lemon juice

• Fresh parsley

Taste and adjust seasoning.

The broth should be slightly spicy, aromatic, and deeply savory with a saffron-tomato warmth.

Grill the Bread

Brush baguette halves with olive oil. Grill or broil until charred and crisp on the edges.

How to Plate Restaurant Style

• Ladle broth first

• Arrange shellfish on top

• Spoon extra broth over everything

• Rest grilled bread across the bowl

• Finish with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil

Optional Upgrades

• Add ½ cup heavy cream (120 ml) for a richer version

• Add a splash of Pernod or pastis for subtle anise depth

• Finish with high-quality flaky sea salt