Take that stew pot to New England and the seafood changes. Where San Francisco cooks have Dungeness crab, New Englanders have lobster, haddock, and other bounty from the North Atlantic. Cioppino, it turns out, translates just fine to East Coast tables. In my version of cioppino, I like using haddock as the anchor, though you can use halibut or any other firm-fleshed white fish. The fish goes into a sauce made with pureed tomatoes, the cooking liquid from steaming mussels and clams, and a little chicken stock. Adding poultry stock to seafood dishes is an old French technique that gives a dish an extra dimension. A few chunks of cooked lobster are also added to the pot, along with some golden potatoes. New Englanders love lobster and many markets sell it already cooked and removed from the shell. Look for it sold this way if you don’t feel like tackling a whole lobster. (You can also substitute peeled shrimp instead, if you like.) Every beautiful, brimming bowl of this cioppino is loaded with flavors of the sea. This is perfect for a casual dinner party or small gathering. Enjoy!
