Ingredients
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small)
2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 oz) can diced Petite tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 pound each halibut and bass fillets, cut in large chunks
24 mussels, cleaned
Toasted baguette slices, buttered and rubbed with garlic
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, stock, lemon juice, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp, fish, scallops,mussels and clams, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels and clams opened. Discard any mussels or clams that don’t open. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.
