A Cheaper Cioppino

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Food columnist renee enna published this recipe which relies on less-expensive ingredients to create a toothsome fish stew. She suggests using whatever firm white fish is on sale, shredded crab to thicken the stew, and mushrooms to provide texture in place of shellfish. Serve with a crusty bread. I've made the salt optional and suggested low-sodium tomatoes to try to reduce the sodium level,

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Steps

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Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a dutch oven and add the onion.

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Cook , stirring , until softened , about 2 minutes.

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Stir in the mushrooms , italian herbs , garlic , salt , red pepper flakes , and black pepper and cook until the mushrooms have softened , about 2 minutes.

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Stir in the tomatoes and wine and heat to a boil.

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Cut the fillets into chunks and stir into the soup , making sure all pieces are submerged.

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Reduce heat to a slow boil and cook until the fish is cooked through , about 5 minutes.

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Stir in the crabmeat , roasted red peppers and shrimp , if using.

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Continue to cook until just heated through , about 3 minutes.

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Taste - if acidic , add the sugar.

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Serve garnished with the parsley.

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Ingredients

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olive oil, onions, sliced mushrooms, mixed italian herbs, garlic clove, salt, red pepper flakes, fresh ground black pepper, diced tomatoes, dry red wine, white fish fillets, roasted red peppers, crabmeat, cooked shrimp, sugar, fresh parsley