Superbowl Eats: San Francisco 49ers edition

For the second time in four years, the San Francisco Forty-Niners faceoff against the Kansas City Chiefs for the Superbowl. This time out, the 49ers are led by quarterback Brock "Mr. Irrelevant" Purdy, who was previously famous for being the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Helping Purdy is league-leading rusher Christian McCaffrey at running back, talented wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and a really good tight end who's not dating a pop star in George Kittle. There's a lot to like about this team, just as there's a lot to like about the San Francisco seafood stew called cioppino. Cioppino is a tomato-based stew created in the late 1800s by Italian-American fishermen who fished off the North Beach of San Francisco. It was made with whatever seafood was leftover from the day’s catch. If you need a dish to bring to a Superbowl party, making this will definitely stand out from the usual crab and sourdough bread people think of for a Bay Area-themed menu.

Ingredients

350 mL chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
340 g skinless red snapper fillets, cut into small pieces (haddock can be used as a substitute)
230 g shelled and deveined medium shrimp
240 mL bottled clam juice
225 g canned diced tomatoes, drained
120 mL dry white wine
30 mL extra-virgin olive oil
30 g unsalted butter
30 g coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2.5 mL hot sauce, plus more for serving
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, for about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil until it's reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the stock, clam juice, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, and hot sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has slightly reduced.
3. Add the clams, cover, and cook just until most of them open, about 5 minutes. Add the snapper and shrimp, cover, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until they are cooked through and the remaining clams have opened.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer seafood to 4 bowls. Add the butter and parsley to the broth remaining in the pot and cook over moderate heat for a minute, while stirring. Spoon the broth over the seafood and serve with sourdough toast.