Chinese Cioppino

Photo: flickr user jaycross

Ingredients

cup garlic minced

cup shallots minced

butter

6 cups white wine

1 cup ginger minced

1 can clam juice

6 cups tomato juice

5 clams (5 to 6)

7 mussels (7 to 8)

4 shrimps

3 ounces seabass chunks

12 ounces cioppino broth

3 tablespoons Chinese black beans

3 tablespoons tomato concasse peeled, seeded and chopped

tablespoon butter

1 pound capellini

2 ounces clarified butter

salt

cup extra virgin olive oil

cup fresh basil leaves chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

French baguette 1/4" slices cut on a long bias

cilantro chopped

Preparation

Broth: In a soup pot, melt the butter and brown the garlic and shallots then deglaze the pot with the white wine. Add the ginger and let simmer for 10 minutes before adding the clam juice and tomato juice. Bring back to a simmer.

Components: In a sauce pan, bring 6 ounces of the cioppino broth to a boil. Add the clams and cover to steam for about 4 minutes.

Add the mussels, shrimp and fish and steam another 4 minutes.

Add the black beans, tomato concasse and butter and let simmer for another 2 minutes.

Place the cioppino into a serving bowl and top with fresh chopped cilantro, a crispy pasta pillow and a couple of the basil crostini spears.

Pasta Pillows: In a pot of boiling water add a little bit of salt. Cook the pasta to al dente. DO NOT OIL THE PASTA. Shock the pasta in a bowl of ice water then strain.

While the pasta is still slightly wet, using a pair of long serving forks, roll the pasta into pillows. Let pasta dry and set about 5 minutes. Fry pasta until golden an each side.

Basil Crostini Spear: In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, chopped basil and minced garlic.

Spread the basil mixture on the baguette slices and bake in a 350 degree oven until bread is lightly browned and crispy.

Cut into long spears to serve.