Have you ever heard of this dish before? It's something that I've always wanted to try and seen in various cookbooks, but Cioppino just isn't something that I've ever gotten around to making.

To tell you a little more about it, Cioppino is a fish stew derived from the various regional fish soups and stews of Italian cuisine. Typically a Cioppino consists of a combination of clams, shrimp, scallops, mussels and white fish with fresh tomatoes in wine sauce.

Originally it was made on the boats while out at sea and later became a staple as Italian restaurants proliferated in San Francisco. The name comes from ciuppin, a word in the Ligurian dialect of the port city of Genoa, which described the local fish stew.

This recipe doesn't come straight from the sea, but it still looks delicious and I can't wait to try it!

Slow Cooker Cioppino - Lazy Man's
From BettyCrocker.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes about 8 servings.

2 large onions, chopped (2 cups)
2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 can (28 oz) Progresso® diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bottle (8 oz) clam juice
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 dried bay leaf
1 lb firm-textured white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 can (6 1/2 oz) chopped clams with juice, undrained
1 can (6 oz) crabmeat, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except fish, shrimp, clams, crabmeat and parsley.

2. Cover; cook on High heat setting 3 to 4 hours.

3. Stir in fish, shrimp, clams and crabmeat. Reduce heat setting to Low. Cover; cook 30 to 45 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with fork. Remove bay leaf. Stir in parsley.