Seafood
3 pounds halibut, sea bass, or other firm white fish, cut into inch-long cubes
1 large (2 pounds or more) cooked Dungeness crab (hard shell)
1 pound (or more) large shrimp
2 pounds littleneck clams and/or mussels (mussels should be scrubbed clean and beards removed right before cooking)
Sauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 large onion)
1 cup chopped bell pepper (1 large bell pepper)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes
Broth from the mollusks
2 cups red wine
2 cups tomato juice
2 cups fish stock or shellfish stock
Herb bouquet of bay leaf, parsley, and basil wrapped in a layer of cheesecloth and secured with kitchen string
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup minced parsley, for garnish
Steam clams and mussels:
Steam mollusks (clams and mussels) in a small amount of water (about two cups) until they just open. Strain and reserve the cooking broth. Set aside.
Prepare the cooked crab:
Remove the crab legs from the body and use a nutcracker to crack the shells so the meat can be easily removed when eating.
Break the body in half, and then cut each half again into either halves or thirds. You can opt to keep the crab meat in the body segments and serve it that way (more work for the eater) or you can pick out the crab meat from the body segments.
If you pick out the crab meat, try to keep it in big chunks. Keep the top shell of the crab for making stock.
Prepare the shrimp:
Split the shrimp shells down the back and remove the black vein. (See how to peel and devein shrimp.) The easiest way to do this without removing the shell, is to lay the shrimp on its side and insert a small knife into the large end of the shrimp, with the blade pointing outward from the back (away from the shrimp and your hands).
Once you have split the shrimp shells, you can turn the knife toward the shrimp, and cut in a little to find the black vein. Pull out the vein as much as you can. You can probably also use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the backs of the shrimp.
Alternatively, you can shell the shrimps and devein them. Shell-on imparts more flavor; shell-off is easier to eat. It's up to you!
Make the soup base:
In a deep, 8-quart pot, sauté onions and bell pepper on medium heat in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic, and sauté a minute more.
Add tomatoes, broth from the mollusks, red wine, tomato juice, fish or shellfish stock, the herb bouquet, and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove herb bouquet. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit your tastes.
Add fish and shellfish:
Add the fish and cook, covered, until the fish is just cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the steamed mollusks, crab meat, and shrimp. Heat just until shrimp are cooked (just 2 to 3 minutes, until they are bright pink). Do not overcook.
Serve in large bowls:
Dole out into large bowls, shells included. Sprinkle with minced fresh parsley. Serve with crusty French or Italian bread and a robust red wine.
Have plenty of napkins available, a few extra bowls for the shells, and nut crackers and tiny forks for the crab, if you left the shells on.
Note: You can use prepared fish or shellfish stock, or you can make your own. If you are not making your own stock, you can discard the crab top shell body. If prepared shellfish stock is not available, combine some prepared fish stock (available at many markets, including Trader Joe's) with clam juice.
(per serving)
780 Calories 22g Fat 21g Carbs 109g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 780
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 385mg 128%
Sodium 3166mg 138%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 109g
Vitamin C 116mg 580%
Calcium 304mg 23%
Iron 6mg 32%
Potassium 2797mg 60%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.