Italian Seafood Stew

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
2 head on, whole Fish, such as tai snapper, black sea bass or striped bass
20 Mussels, cleaned
20 Clams, cleaned
12 Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Dungeness Crab, cracked
6 Squid, cleaned and cut into rings
2 cans, crushed Tomatoes, drained and juice saved
6 cloves Garlic, crack 2, peel 3 and slice and peel 1 and save
1 yellow Onion, peeled and sliced
6 young Onion or Scallion, sliced
1 lb of Fingerling Potatoes, washed and sliced ¼€ thick
1 Fennel bulb, sliced ¼€ thick
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp of Chili Flakes
2 sprigs of Thyme
1 bunch Italian Parsley, leaves picked and chopped, 10 stems saved
2 cups of dry White Wine, lighter style like a Pinot Grigio
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
slices of good crusty Bread

Directions:
1. When you buy your seafood, have your fish monger clean and scale the fish. Also ask him/her to cut of head and tail, but save those, you€re going to make stock. Make sure the fishmonger removed the gills. Lastly, have the fish cut into 1 ½ slices.

2. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add some olive oil. Add yellow onion and 2 cracked garlic cloves, 2 thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley stems.

3. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, but don€t let it brown and take color and add fish heads and tails. Then add drained tomato juice and white wine.

4. Bring to a boil and turn down heat and then add about 1 cup water. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a fitting vessel through a fine mesh strainer and then set it aside.

5. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add some olive oil. Add scallion, garlic, fennel and potatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes, but don€t let it brown and take color.

6. Add pieces of fish, then add broth, just to cover. When broth starts to simmer, add tomato, mussels and clams. Remember that clams and mussels will release sea water, so be careful to not add too much liquid. You can always add more.

7. Turn down heat and close pot with a lid and let simmer for 5-6 minutes. At this point you should taste the broth and also check consistency. You might need to add a bit more broth. Add salt, pepper and chili pepper and then add shrimp and squid, and last add cracked crab.

8. Sprinkle with lots of chopped parsley and add a generous drizzle of olive oil. Cover pot again and turn off heat and let sit for 5-6 minutes until shrimp and squid are cooked and crab heated.

9. Rub slices of bread with olive oil and toast until golden brown under broiler or grill if you have one handy. While the bread is hot, rub the slices on one side with your last garlic clove. Spoon up seafood on a large platter or shallow bowl and serve with garlic bread.