Men of the sea had the right idea — when battening down the hatches, one must prepare by filling the belly with hardy fare to sustain through coarser weather. On the mainland in the Northwest, we might not be helming a ship, but we certainly have our fair share of wet days and a good meal — and drink — can set the right course for any journey.
To make it easy on us, Chef Ryan Ziegler of the Ilani Resort’s Line & Lure seafood joint in Ridgefield, Washington, has shared one of his favorite Northwest winter survival dishes: cioppino, or fisherman’s stew. The chef uses Maryhill Winery‘s Albariño in both the stew itself and the poaching liquid for the seafood.
“The wine adds depth of flavor to the cooking procedures of deglazing and poaching,” Ziegler says. “In the poaching liquid, the wine enhances the flavor of the seafood pulling out notes of pineapple and melon. The wine also provides a level of acidity to the liquid. For the cioppino base, the Albariño doesn’t overpower and helps balance the flavor of the tomatoes and andouille sausage. It also elevates the saffron notes in the dish.”
An obvious match, Ziegler says the wine also complements as a pairing, adding to the overall cozy course for sinking into a couch with a hot bowl in your hands.
“I would describe this as the ultimate PNW comfort food,” he adds. “It’s the perfect meal on a damp, chilly, winter evening. It’s the perfect reason to light a candle, get cozy and hunker down with a healthy pour and large bowl of cioppino.”
Ingredients for Stew:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup yellow onion, small dice
¼ cup celery, small dice
¼ cup fennel, cored and sliced thin
¼ cup leeks, cleaned and cut into half-moons
4 ounces andouille sausage, cut into half-moons
½ tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
¼ cup Maryhill Winery Albariño
12 ounces V-8 juice
12 ounces clam juice
4 saffron threads
1 bay leaf
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
24 ounces diced tomatoes in juice
Ingredients for Seafood:
1 quart water
½ cup Maryhill Winery Albariño
1 lemon, cut in half and juiced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 dozen Manila clams
1 dozen mussels
8 prawns, peel, deveined and tails removed
Directions:
Heat the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, fennel, leeks and sausage and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and the parsley and continue to sauté for an additional minute. Deglaze with the white wine and add the V-8, clam juice, saffron, bay leaf, chili flakes, Tabasco and the salt and pepper. Add the diced tomatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
In a separate stock pot, combined the water, wine, lemon, bay leaf and peppercorns, and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add in the clams, mussels and prawns; poaching for 5-6 minutes until the clams and mussels open. Carefully remove the seafood from the liquid and add the seafood to the stew. Discard the poaching liquid and serve.
