CIOPPINO WITH SQUID, TURBOT, SALMON, LIGHT SAFFRON BROTH, MUSSELS AND CLAMS

SERVES 4

Saffron, the most luxurious of spices, is infused in oil to make the most of its exotic golden color and intoxicating flavor. The oil anoints the Hell’s Kitchen version of cioppino, the brothy Italian-American fish stew that was born in San Francisco more than a century ago. If your budget doesn’t allow for the teaspoon of saffron that goes into the oil, skip the flavored oil and stick with the pinch of saffron that goes into the stew.

Cioppino featuring the catch of the day can be found in the eateries dotting San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, a culinary destination for seafood aficionados. Hell’s Kitchen’s cioppino, which introduces the Italian Inspired menu (here), offers six varieties of seafood. If something other than the six is in season, you’re invited to sub that into your stew. Serve with plenty of bread to sop up all the delicious juices.

SAFFRON OIL (OPTIONAL)

1 teaspoon loosely packed saffron threads

½ cup olive oil

CROSTINI

8 slices of baguette cut ¼ inch thick

1 garlic clove, halved

Olive oil

CIOPPINO

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion (about 1 ¼ cups), coarsely chopped

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼–½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

Pinch of saffron

1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, crushed

One 14-ounce can roasted red peppers, diced

½–¾ cup dry white wine

¼ cup Pernod

½ cup bottled clam juice

8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded

12 cockles, scrubbed

Four 2-ounce halibut fillets

Four 2-ounce salmon fillets

8 jumbo shrimp (21-25 count), shelled and deveined

4 ounces squid, cut into rings

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

FOR THE SAFFRON OIL

IN a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, pulverize the saffron threads into a powder. Pour the oil into a small jar and add the saffron powder. Infuse for at least 30 minutes.

FOR THE CROSTINI

PREHEAT the oven to 425°F.

RUB the baguette slices with the halved garlic clove on both sides and brush with olive oil. Arrange on a small baking sheet and bake about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Set aside.

FOR THE CIOPPINO

HEAT 2 tablespoons olive oil in a low, wide stockpot over medium heat. Add onions, fennel, and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and saffron. Add tomatoes and their liquid, roasted peppers, wine, Pernod, clam juice, and 1¼ cups water, and bring to a simmer.

ADD mussels and cockles. Cover the pot and simmer until shells open, 2–3 minutes for the mussels, a minute or two more for the cockles. As they open, transfer the shellfish to a bowl and reserve. Season halibut, salmon, and shrimp with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the squid and cook 1 minute more, or until the shrimp is pink and the fish is opaque and beginning to flake. Adjust seasoning.

TO PLATE

DIVIDE the cioppino among four bowls. Drizzle with saffron oil, garnish with parsley, and serve with crostini.