March 2007: San Francisco Chioppino

~A light, healthy, and very satisfying dinner!

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced fennel (white part only)
½ cup chopped shallots
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
¾ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
½ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups red wine
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
3 cups bottled clam juice
2 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound littleneck clams, scrubbed clean of grit
1 pound mussels, scrubbed clean, debearded
1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ½ pounds rockfish or halibut, cut into 2-inch pieces

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil and and red pepper flakes; saute 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, clam juice, vegetable broth and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.

Add the clams and mussels to the pot. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (dicard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season to taste with additional salt and red pepper flakes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with a good crusty bread for dipping!

8 servings