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International
Home Chefs
Italy
Guido Ferro
Rita Ferro
From Market to Meal: Classic Italian Cioppino
Guido Ferro always buys the freshest fish for cioppino at a local Asian market.
For passionate home cooks “Mama” Rita and Guido Ferro, a bubbling pot on the stove is pure satisfaction. Especially when that pot contains the magnificent briny brew known as cioppino—classic Italian seafood stew.
On the Italian shores where cioppino originated, the dish was the simple fare of fishermen. After selling the day’s catch to dockside merchants, the fishermen would toss everything left over into a communal pot, then savor the results together.
In northern Italy—where Rita’s heritage lies—cioppino is typically prepared as a rich stew. In the South, it’s closer to a fish soup. For Rita, it’s the stuff of Christmas memories. She warmly recalls how her family spread the holiday table with a plastic cloth, then gathered to feast amid piles of accumulating shells.
Lacking a fishing boat of their own, Rita and Guido choose the next best thing: a local Asian market known for its excellent selection of fresh and live fish. Guido stocks up on snapper, crab, clams and more while Rita stays home to put the finishing touches on the broth and prepare loaves of buttery garlic bread.
When fresh seafood and savory tomato broth come together, the fragrance is enough to test anyone’s patience. Fortunately, a quick 30-minute simmer is sufficient to cook the tender seafood to perfection. Grab some bread for dipping and let the feast begin!
Fresh red snapper is a key ingredient in Guido and Mama's cioppino. This fish was bought whole and filleted at the market.
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