Ingredients
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 sweet onions, chopped
1 1/2 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 roasted red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 head garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
pinch saffron
bunch fresh thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tb. tomato paste, toasted
2-3 pieces orange peel
2-3 bottles clam juice
1/2-3/4 of a bottle of dry white wine
3-4 tomatoes, chopped, plus their juice
1 small head fennel, slice, reserving fronds
good olive oil for drizzling
1 lemon
Seafood, such as clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, oysters, crab legs, and mild white fish fillets
old bay seasoning
Paul Prudhomme’s salmon seasoning
Preparation
In a very large, high-sized sauce pan, heat olive oil and melt butter. Sweat onions until soft. Add bell pepper and cook until soft. Salt. Add jalapenos, roasted red peppers, fennel and garlic. Cook 1-2 mins. Add wine, bay leaf, thyme, and oregano. Reduce. Add clam juice, saffron, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer, covered, 1 hr.
Shell and devein shrimp. Wash all seafood, trimming any tough bits. Season shrimp and fish fillets on one side with old bay seasoning and Paul Prudhomme seasoning. Throw in all seafood and cook until just cooked through. Taste broth and correct seasoning. Discard and mollusks that did not open. Top with a drizzle of good olive oil, a squirt of lemon juice, and chopped fennel fronds. Serve with warm, crusty bread.
