Christmas with Rachael Ray

I ran today, further than yesterday.


So it's becoming a tradition in my house....not that I would admit to getting a recipe from Rachael Ray, but I did. I have been cooking Cioppino for a couple of years now at Christmas. I have a few tricks of my own while making it, so it's not all Rachael. It takes about an hour to make from start to finish, that includes slicing, dicing and washing the seafood. Here is what you will need to make it the way I do.

1lb. of halibut

1lb. of king crab claws (a CB touch)

15 mussels (some people don't like mussels, don't like 'em? don't add them)

1lb. of large scallops

10 large shrimp

1 cup of good dry white wine

16 oz. can of crush tomatoes

1 box of vegetable stock

3 anchovies fillets out of a can, no oil

6 cloves of garlic crushed

1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon of cheyenne pepper

1 large sweet onion

2-3 celery stalks

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

1 hand full of fresh parsley

5-6 fresh rosemary sprigs, use the leaves only

1/4 cup of olive oil

Make sure you pre-read your recipe several times before you start...you'll be really busy once you get going -- things could get fuzzy once you start. You'll have to move in the kitchen with the speed and coordination you move through an aide station, so stay focused and plan ahead.

Open your bottle of wine, drink a glass while you chop all your veggies -- do the chopping while you're sober, its just a good idea. Begin to preheat your big cast iron pot and wash your seafood. Drink a second glass of wine. In a big pot pre-heated to medium high, add the olive oil, garlic, anchovies, red pepper flakes, Cheyenne, salt, pepper, bay leaf, parsley, garlic, onions and celery and saute for about 5 minutes and sweat those onions -- make 'em work like Richard Symmonds, 1 more....2 more...3 more...ready and sweat! The pepper will infuse into the oil. Be sure to put a beer glass in the freezer at this point to get that frosty glaze on the glass, I put in my SOB 50K glass I got a couple of years ago. You will want to drink beer with this seafood dish, you'll be sick of wine by the time the seafood soup is ready and beer goes better with seafood...in my mind.

Then add the vegetable stock, can of crushed tomatoes, 1 cup of dry white wine -- pour a little more for yourself while you are at it. If your tree looks like the figure to your left, then you've had enough wine.

Bring the pot to a boil then turn heat to low....simmer for 10 minutes...finish your wine and do a little clean up in the kitchen.Add the fish to the top of the Cioppene and cover. Let cook for 5 minutes and give the pot a shake, don't stir. Add the rest of the seafood, yep...all of it and then cover for another 10 minutes giving the pot a shake. You'll need to get that wine taste out of your mouth and refresh your pallet with some beer, so pull that frosty glass out of the freezer and pour slowly to the side of the glass so the head doesn't get too big....I know, how can the head be too big or there be too much head? Either way, with beer not good.

Serve with the bread of your choice. Serves 6-8 people. Costs about $50-60 to make, so be prepared for the investment. Do not try and run for at least 8 hours after eating this meal or you will really pay!!!!

-CB