Instant Pot Cioppino

When the weather starts to cool, I crave warming foods, soups and stews are always a go to. With the help of an Instant Pot, this super flavorful Cioppino comes together in about an hour. I used some of my pre-packaged SizzleFish scallops, wild gulf shrimp, and sable fish, which made it super easy. If any of you are looking to supplement more seafood into your diet, I cannot recommend SizzleFish enough! Everything comes pre-packaged single serving. So you're not having to defrost a ton of seafood at one time. Anyway, feel free to substitute or omit whatever seafood you prefer. I also added some clams and crab legs for that extra "umph." 

What you'll need:

For the soup base:

• 3 tbsp grassfed butter (i.e. Kerrygold unsalted)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, small diced
• 2 medium carrots, small diced
• 2-3 celery stalks, small diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, small diced
• 1 small fennel bulb, small diced
• 5-6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 14oz cans of crushed tomatoes
• 2 8oz bottles of clam juice
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp Worchestershire (I used a glutenfree brand)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• salt and black pepper to taste
• a handful of parsley, chopped

For the seafood:

• 8 large scallops 
• 1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1/4 lb white fish (I used Sablefish), cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1-2 lbs crab legs
• 1-2 tbsp potato starch
• pinch of salt
• pinch of paprika
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 lbs manila clams, scrubbed

What to do:

For the soup base:

1. Using the SAUTE function of the instant pot, heat the butter and olive oil until melted. Add the onions into the pot and saute for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, fennel and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes until the veggies have softened. Add the dried thyme, dried parsley, dried oregano, and cayenne powder. Stir to coat the veggies. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. 
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, clam juice, tomato paste and Worchestershire. Stir. Cover and set the Instant Pot to cook for 30 minutes on HIGH pressure. In the meantime, prepare the seafood. 
3. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes after it finishes. 

For the seafood:

1. In a cast iron skillet, heat 3 tbsp olive oil or butter over medium high heat. Working in batches, dredge the scallops, fish, and shrimp in the potato flour, paprika, and salt. Shake off excess flour and fry (in batches), until just starting to brown (about 45 seconds to a minute each side). Remove seafood with a slotted spoon. Repeat until all the scallops, fish and shrimp are cooked. Set aside. Fry the crab legs for a minute on each side. Remove and set aside. 
2. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup white wine, scrapping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the clams and cover. Steam for about 5 minutes or until the the clams have all opened. Discard any that are not open. Remove from heat. 
3. After a 10 minute natural release, manually release the pressure. Open the lid and add all the seafood except the clams. Close the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. 
4. Manually release pressure after it completes, open the lid and add the clams and all the juices. Stir. 
5. Serve with chopped parsley and toasted bread.