Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon fennel (rubbed)
- ¾ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 6 oz. can of crab meat
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 2 cups clam juice
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Dungeness crab (cleaned but uncooked) cut into six pieces
- 1 pound manila clams, scrubbed
- 1 pound mussels, scrubbed, debearded
- 1 ½ pounds assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets such as halibut or cod, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped)
- ¼ cup fresh basil (chiffenade)
Directions
Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and wine; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the basil, oregano, fennel, tomato paste and sauté 2 more minutes. Add crab meat, chopped tomatoes, clam juice, water and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Raise heat to medium and add the crab, clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the fish and simmer gently until the clams and mussels are all open (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Finally add the shrimp and cook only 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the fresh parsley and basil, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Taste and season the soup with more salt and crushed black pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve along with toasted sour dough bread to sop up the broth.
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