Bouillabaisse (French Seafood Stew)

Ingredients

• •12 cherrystone clams, well scrubbed
• •3/4 pound monkfish, sea bass, red snapper, or halibut fillets, cut
• •into 1 inch pieces
• •1/2 pound sea scallops
• •3 tablespoons olive oil
• •1 leek, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• •1 celery stalk, chopped
• •2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• •1 tablespoon tomato paste
• •1/2 cup dry white wine
• •1 1/2 cups peeled tomatoes, crushed with juice
• •1 cup clam juice
• •1 cup water
• •1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• •Salt to taste
• •1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
• •1 pinch saffron threads
• •Rouille:
• •3 White bread slices, without crust
• •1 teaspoon paprika
• •2 Garlic cloves
• •1/2 red chile, fresh
• •4 tablespoons olive oil
• •Garlic bread croutons, for garnish

Directions

1. 1In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté leek and celery until soft, but not browned.
2. 2Add garlic. Sauté for two more minutes.
3. 3Stir in tomato paste and continue cooking for one more minute.
4. 4Add wine to “deglaze” pan, by scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan while the wine reduces. Boil gently for about three minutes.
5. 5Stir in tomatoes with juice, clam juice, water, sea salt to taste, anise seed, and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. 6Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large soup pot. Add the clams and cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly.
7. 7Lower heat if oil is smoking. Add simmered broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for three more minutes.
8. 8Stir in fish, cover and continue cooking for one more minute.
9. 9Add scallops and cook just until seafood is done, about four more minutes. Throw away any clams that do not open.
10. 10For the rouille, combine bread, paprika, garlic, red pepper, and oil in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
11. 11Serve stew with garlic croutons, garnished with rouille.