1/3 c. olive oil or salad oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
(including some tops)
1 green pepper, seeded and
coarsely chopped
3 large cloves garlic
1/3 c. lightly packed chopped
parsley
1 (1 lb.) can tomato puree
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 c. dry white wine or dry red
wine
2 c. water
half a bay leaf
3 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. each dry rosemary and
thyme leaves
about 5 lb. live whole crabs
in shell (large blue crabs
or medium-size Dungeness
crabs, do not use soft
shell crabs)
1 doz. small hard-shell clams,
cleaned
1 lb. large raw shrimp or
prawns, deveined
1 large loaf sourdough or
Italian-style bread
Cooked crab Cioppiono. The stew can be somewhat easier
to make and eat if you buy whole, cooked, cleaned and cracked
crab (thaw if frozen) instead of live crab; shucked clams
instead of clams in shell; and cooked, shelled and deveined
large shrimp or prawns (thaw if frozen), instead of raw shrimp
in shell. Prepare recipe as directed, but cook shellfish in
sauce only about 15 minutes or until just heated through.
Serve immediately as directed.
In a wide, deep frying pan with a tight-fitting lid,
heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion, green onion, green
pepper and garlic; saute, stirring occasionally for about 5
minutes. Add parsley, tomato puree, tomato sauce, wine, water,
bay leaf, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil;
reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour. Remove
garlic. (You can do this much up to 12 hours ahead, if you
wish; cover and chill). Clean and crack live crabs; arrange
cracked crab pieces evenly in bottom of a large kettle (at
least 8-quart size). Arrange clams evenly over crab; arrange
shrimp evenly on top of clams. Heat sauce to simmering; pour
over shell fish. Cover and simmer until clam shells are open
(20 to 30 minutes). Serve in wide, shallow soup bowls, arrang- 
ing some of each shellfish in each bowl and spooning sauce
generously over fish; accompany with chunks of bread. Makes
about 6 servings.