Cioppino, tomato seafood stew

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 large fennel bulb, finely chopped
• 170 g of chopped onion
• 225 g of chopped celery
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• 4 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 of a teaspoon of crushed red chili pepper
• 170 g of tomato puree
• 900 g of diced tomatoes
• 360 ml of dry white wine
• 1.2 liters of water
• One bay leaf
• 900 g of crab, cut into pieces
• 900 g of mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 450 g of Saint-Jacques scallops
• 680 g of firm white fish (such as tilapia or another variety), cut into large pieces
• 2 loaves of sourdough or crusty bread

Heat the oil in a very large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt, then cook until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the garlic and chili pepper, then cook for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato concentrate.

Add the tomatoes with their juice, the wine, the water, the crab, the celery, and the bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Add the mussels to the broth, cover, and let them cook until they open, about 5 minutes.

Add the scallops and fish, then cook them gently until the fish and scallops are just cooked through, about 10 minutes more.

Discard any mussels that remain closed, remove the bay leaf, and adjust the seasoning with salt and hot pepper.

Serve with toasted bread.