Chippin' in Cioppino

Alaska’s take on an Italian fisherman’s stew

Alaska is home to more than 60 percent of the nation’s commercial fisheries with harvests that include all five species of Pacific salmon, halibut, cod, pollock, sablefish, shrimp, herring, an array of crab species, and many more. In addition to commercial harvests, Alaskans rely heavily on subsistence and personal use fisheries to fill their tables and larders. This stew was popularized by Italian fishermen in San Francisco in the early 1900s. Old city lore says the soup was named cioppino as an Italian nod to the American phrase “to chip in.” As any fisherman worth their salt knows, when hard work needs to be done, it happens faster with more hands helping out, or as they say chipping in. Other sources trace the name back to a Ligurian seafood stew called cioppin. This stew, aptly named, is a versatile way to “chip in” nearly any available seafood from our waters, using what’s in season or what’s in the freezer. Clams can easily swap for mussels, prawns or crab for shrimp, cod or pollock for halibut, and so on. Simmer a batch on the next cool, blustery day with your fisherfolk and take stock in the bounty our waters bring us.