Tender chunks of fish and fresh seafood simmer in a creamy coconut broth. This Asian version of Cioppino is inspired by a historic San Francisco restaurant with Filipino roots.
Inspired by a Historic San Francisco restaurant
This Asian version of Cioppino is inspired by the famed 7 Mile House in South San Francisco.
It's been a tradition now to serve this "Filipino Cioppino", a seafood stew simmered in coconut broth.
Located in a historic 100+ year old building, the owner, Vanessa, wanted to share her culture and food with the Bay Area, when Filipino restaurants were nearly nonexistent.
In addition to Filipino dishes featured on the regular menu, every October the restaurant celebrates Filipino Heritage Month.
A Unique Recipe
One recipe that returns each year to 7 Mile House is the Filipino Cioppino made by a local schoolteacher. It is so popular that the recipe is featured every year.
While I was not able to obtain the recipe, this is my closest, easiest approximation of it.
Having dined out as much as I do, it was one of the most unique menu items I have seen in a long while. Recreated here, so you can enjoy all year round.
Ingredients
This is fairly straightforward. You have four main ingredient groups:
- Seafood - The freshest possible, if you're willing to fork over cash for local, sustainable seafood. A mix of shell on fish (mussels, clams, and even crab), your choice of white fish, and scallops/shrimp are ideal.
- Mirepoix -A combination of finely diced celery, onion, and carrot add a natural sweetness to the coconut milk without adding sugar. This may seem like an odd addition to Asian cuisine, but Filipino food has heavy Spanish and thus European influences where a mirepoix is standard fare.
- Aromatics - Ginger, garlic, green onion, and chile such as jalapeno or thai bird chile give this stew some kung fu kick!
- Liquid - Coconut milk, white wine, and fish sauce really form the heart of this stew and bring it all home.
How to Make Filipino Cioppino
Step 1: Chop vegetables
Not the most exciting step, but you will need to dice the carrot, celery, and onion into a small dice, or brunoise they might say.
Step 2: Mince aromatics
Mince the ginger and garlic. Slice the green onion into thin slices.
Step 4: Simmer coconut broth
Add all the above ingredients along with a coconut milk, white wine, fish sauce, and jalapeno, and bring to a simmer in a large pot.
If you don't like spice, omit the jalapeno.
Simmer for about 15 minutes until the celery and carrot are soft.
Step 3: Clean seafood
While the coconut is simmering, you can prep the seafood.
- Fish should be skinned, deboned, and cut into 2" chunks.
- Shrimp should be peeled and deveined. Scallops should have the sinewy adductor mussel torn off.
- Mussels should be scrubbed and debearded.
- Clams should be soaked in a little salt water to remove any sandy grit.
- Squid should be cut into 2" chunks.
Step 4: Cook seafood
This is where it can get tricky.
It would be nice to dump all the seafood in the pot, but unfortunately, they don't cook at the same time.
You may end up with rubbery shrimp and fish chunks that have degraded to mere flakes.
- Cook the chunks of white fish first, then fish them out.
- Cook your scallops and shrimp, then fish them out.
- Cook your clams and mussels in the pot, stirring gently until they open.
- Spoon the cooked seafood into bowls. Ladle over the hot coconut broth and serve.
Step 5: Serve hot
Serve with brown jasmine rice and green vegetables such as Easy Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry with a Secret Touch or Make Ahead Chilled Chinese Broccoli.
This also pairs exceedingly well with a white wine.
Wine Pairing
My wine choice with this rich coconut seafood stew is a French Vouvray, made from Chenin Blanc grapes.
Vouvray seems made to pair with coconut milk with its floral, honeysuckle, pear and apple notes.
Though Vouvray comes in sweet version too, the sparkling version just lifts that creamy coconut off the palate so well. Definitely one of my favorite food pairing combinations ever.
Expert Tips
- If you prefer to make your life easier and just use a bag of frozen mixed seafood, please do. Then you will feel no guilt for dumping it all in the pot at once and simmering until the seafood is hot.
- If you plan to simmer for longer than 15 minutes, in case you forget about it, cover the pot with a lid so all the liquid doesn't evaporate away.
- Omit the jalapeno or other chili if you don't like spice. Add more fresh chile if you prefer more spice.
- Serve with still or sparkling Vouvray (aka French chenin blanc).
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Recipe
Filipino Cioppino - Seafood Coconut Milk Stew
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb mixed seafood clams, mussels, white fish, shrimp, scallops, squid
Coconut milk stock
- 1 can coconut milk or 2 cups
- ½ c white wine
- 1 ea jalapeno deseeded if you prefer less spice
- 1 Tb fish sauce
- ½ ea carrot small dice
- 1 stalk celery small dice
- ½ ea onion small dice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 ea green onion finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine all coconut milk stew ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Make sure all the seafood is cleaned and ready to cook. Fish should be skinned, deboned, and cut into 2" chunks. Shrimp should be peeled and deveined. Scallops should have the sinewy adductor mussel torn off. Mussels should be scrubbed and debearded. Clams should be soaked in a little salt water to remove any sandy grit. Squid should be cut into 2" chunks.
- Gently add fish chunks to simmering stock. It should only take a few minutes to cook until opaque and firm to the touch. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add scallops and shrimp if using. Cook in simmering stock for a few minutes until cooked and remove. Remove and set aside.
- Add clams and mussels to the stock. Cook until opened. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Unopened clams can be cooked longer until opened. Add scallops and shrimp back into the broth to reheat.
- Spoon fish into bowls. Ladle over the coconut seafood stew into bowls. Serve hot, and with brown rice.
Notes
- If you prefer to make your life easier and just use a bag of frozen mixed seafood, please do. Then you will feel no guilt for dumping it all in the pot at once and simmering until the seafood is hot.
- If you plan to simmer for longer than 15 minutes, in case you forget about it, cover the pot with a lid so all the liquid doesn't evaporate away.
- Omit the jalapeno or other chili if you don't like spice. Add more fresh chile if you prefer more spice.
- Serve with still or sparkling Vouvray (aka French chenin blanc).
Nutrition
Do you love a good seafood stews? Spread the ♥, and please share!
Jason says
This was a delicious meal, made me look like a pro, and was super easy. We had a ton of clams and mussels from a Costco run and some frozen shrimp in the freezer from forever ago. This came out so fresh and amazing. Will definitely make again.
asiantestkitchen@gmail.com says
Ahhhh!!! SO happy to hear that you loved the recipe! I love it too, and it's a great alternative to the typical cioppino with tomatoes. Thank you so much Jason for trying the recipe and leaving a review! Happy cooking!