4th of July Cioppino Party: An Alternative to the Same Old BBQ

One of my favorite 4^th of Julys was the year that I decided to forgo BBQ in favor of Cioppino, a delicious fish stew that originated on the docks of San Francisco. The fishermen, many of whom where Italian immigrants, would come into the Warf with their catches and each would "chip in" some fish for a communal pot of soup, hence the name, "chip-in-o."

Because seafood can be very costly, and at the time ( 20 years ago) I was not making much money, I asked each of my guests to bring a pound of fish or shellfish to add to the pot. I made my fish stock from fish heads and bones that I got from the fishmonger for next to nothing, and added fresh tomatoes, onions, white wine and herbs to the brew. To round out the meal I baked some bread and made homemade vanilla ice cream. We set up tables in the yard, had a wonderful meal, drank a lot of wine, and then climbed up on the roof to watch the fireworks at a nearby park.

Making your own fish stock is easy, and still inexpensive. Purchase about 2-3 lbs of fish bones and several fish heads. Ask the fishmonger to cut up the heads and bones so that they will fit in a large pot. Cover the bones with water and add a large, halved onion, three stalks of celery, a couple of carrots, a tablespoon of whole peppercorns and a large bay leaf . Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let the stock simmer for an hour and half. Open the windows, because the aroma is pretty strong. If you have a cat, however, it will think it has died and gone to heaven.

If you are going to make the Cioppino right away, carefully strain the stock to remove the fish, vegetables and spices and continue with the following recipe. If not, let the stock cool, strain, and refrigerate or freeze it. The broth may become gelatinous after sitting in the fridge overnight. This is normal for homemade stocks.

Of course, you can always buy fish stock at a gourmet market, or use a combination of clam juice and chicken stock.

Cioppino

1/4 cup olive oil

1 fennel bulb, fronds removed, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1-6 oz can tomato paste

2- 28 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 cups dry white wine

7-8 cups of fish stock

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons hot sauce ( optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the fennel and onions and saut� about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute, making sure garlic does not burn. Add the tomato paste and incorporate it with vegetables. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally

Just before you are ready to serve, add:

1 1/ 2 to 2 lb clams

1 1/2 to 2 lb mussels

Cover and cook about 5 minutes or until the clams and mussels start to open. Then add:

1 lb large, raw, peeled and de-veined shrimp

1 lb scallops

2 lbs assorted firm fleshed white fish, such as halibut, cod, or rock bass, cut into 2 inch chunks.

Other good additions would be monkfish, lobster or crab.

Simmer until fish is cooked through. Discard any unopened clams or mussels...they have died and gone to crustacean heaven.

Serve with additional hot sauce and some kind of bread to sop up the juice. Have lots of napkins on hand.

Serves 12-14

To round out the meal, you can keep the BBQ tradition going and stay with the seafood theme by barbequing-skewered shrimp for appetizers. Clams and oysters are also easy to make hors d'oeuvres. Just put them on the grill until they start to open and serve with hot sauce and lemon wedges.

You can also use the grill to make an easy flatbread from pizza dough. Just roll out pieces of store bought pizza dough into fairly thin 8 inch rounds, bush one side and place on the grill over medium heat, no flames. Brush the other side with olive oil and flip after a minute or two. Brush the cooked side with more olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, chopped fresh herbs and grated parmesan cheese. Move to the upper grill rack after second side is cooked, and keep warm till cheese is melted.

If children will be attending your festivities, keep in mind that kids (and perhaps some adults) might not find fish stew appetizing. Be sure to have hot dogs and their accoutrements available for that probability.

For dessert, a make your own sundae bar is fun for everyone and easy to set up. You will need:

Several gallons of vanilla ice cream

Ice cream scoops

Squeeze bottles of chocolate, butterscotch, and strawberry toppings

Chopped peanuts

Shaker dispenser of multi colored sprinkles ( see baking aisle of grocery)

Several cans of whipped cream

These are the basics but if you have the time and money, go crazy! Chop up your favorite candy bars in the food processor, add M&M's, Reese's Pieces, fresh berries, and if you must, maraschino cherries.

The important thing is to have fun, so do as much as you can ahead of time, delegate duties to guests who are just standing around drinking, and have a safe and happy 4^th of July!