Cioppino by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large shallots, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 5 cups fish stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 lb manila clams, scrubbed
• 1 lb mussels, scrubbed, debearded
• 1 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 lbs halibut fillets or salmon fillets, cut into 2-inch chunks (assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets)

Directions

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes.

4. 4

   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 (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Remove bay leaf. Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.

5. 5

   Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.