This is a very tasty Italian seafood stew.

Like many dishes of this type it was typically something thrown together quickly at the end of hard working day and would be made with whatever you would have on hand.

Once you have the basic flavor to your liking then just add whatever seafood you enjoy.

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup butter
1 rib celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes (800g)
2 cups clam juice or fish stock
2 cups white wine
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
1 Spanner or Mud crab (about 1Kg), cracked and cleaned, or 1-Kg frozen crabmeat thawed
2Kg White fillet (Snapper, Whiting etc), cut into 1-in slices
24 large prawns, peeled and de-veined
12 mussels
½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped

Method:

• In a large pot, on medium-low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil and sauté the celery and onions until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add all the rest of the ingredients except the seafood and fresh parsley.
• Simmer on low, uncovered, for one hour.
• Add a splash of water if the sauce gets to thick.
• Taste for salt and adjust if needed.
• Add the crab, prawns, and halibut, and simmer covered another five minutes. Add the mussels, cover the pot and simmer for 3 minutes more, or until the mussels open.
• Turn off the heat, and stir in the Italian parsley.

Ladle the Cioppino into large bowls and serve with lots of sourdough bread and red wine.

Makes 6 large portions