I was browsing to see if my own recipe is here - this isn't it, but it's close. I can offer a few tips on this, though. My brother worked in a chile packing plant in Hatch, NM for a while. ("I quit when they put me on jalapenos!"). His advise is to never use chile powder because they grind up the whole chile - stems, seeds, branches, small animals (:

Reviewed On: Jun. 9, 2011

My wife says, "I like yours better....." HAHA, but it's not so different, either. I use no butter or oil beyond sauteeing the sofrito (onion, carrot, celery) in the beginning. The secret weapon is a fennel bulb instead of celery, there. It adds a unique sweetness that goes really well, and I got that from some famous chef (who I don't recall). I grind the stock to make a thick broth, and then add some fish to cook down, which makes a fish stew. Then I add the whole pieces and shellfish only at the end, as here. Rich, thick and yummy with french bread. Some advice for newbies: It doesn't matter a whole lot what fish you use, but you want lean whitefish in general - salmon really doesn't belong here. And a great cioppino is expensive - be ready for a $50 pot of soup..... Oh, yeah, a bit of red pepper flakes is standard for cioppono, too. It's supposed to have a bit of a kick to it - just a bit.

Reviewed On: Nov. 15, 2010

I was actually looking for variations of my own soup - this is a good recipe. A couple of thoughts, for better or worse: I start with sofrito/mirepoix - onion, carrot, celery, which gives MUCH more flavor, and then use broth, too. A TV recipe roasted the shrooms first, which I don't do but it looked good. I put a handful of (rehydrated) dried porcinis in, which gives it a real kick and depth. And I NEVER use flour in soups - as one said here, "It's just like Campbell's!" I reduce the soup to get a natural thickening, plus it concentrates the flavors. Chunky or no is a matter of taste, and this is good with or without cream, too. Make sure it has enough salt, it's the secret to a great soup, in general.. Good stuff.

Reviewed On: May 21, 2010