Recipe: Mere's Cioppino

From: Mere,.CA

Mere's Cioppino

1/4 cup Olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 large onion
2 shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 large bunch Italian parsley
10 basil leaves, rolled tightly and sliced thinly
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 boxes Parmalat Marinara sauce
1 large cooked crab, cleaned and cracked
1/2 pound shelled, deveined shrimp
1/2 pound mussels or clams, debearded and scrubbed
1 large piece of monkfish or halibut, cleaned and cut into 1-1/2" cubes

Chop the onion, shallot and garlic and saute in olive oil until tender and translucent. Add the red wine and cook until wine is reduced and becomes a glaze. Add the Marinara sauce, parsley and seasonings and simmer for several hours. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if necessary.

About 10 minutes before you are ready to serve, have ready all of the fish and shellfish. Add the mussels first. After about 4 minutes, add the shrimp and crab. When the shrimp is cooked, the mussels are open and the crab is hot, add the monkfish or halibut and cook approximately 1 more minute. Be sure not to heat the crab too much, or the meat will stick inside the shells and you won't be able to dig it out. Take is to the table and dive in!