Seafood Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus additional for serving
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 stalk celery, minced
- 1 carrot, minced
- 1 1/2 lbs. raw squid, cleaned and cut into 1 inch rings
- 1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
- 12 mussels, rinsed
- 12 littleneck clams, rinsed
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup crushed canned Italian plum tomatoes
- 8 black brine-cured olives, such as Nicoise
- 8 capers, rinsed of salt or vinegar (optional)
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped rosemary leaves
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped oregano
- 2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme
- 1 cup homemade fish stock or clam juice or additional white wine
- Salt
- 3/4 lb. monkfish fillet, cut into 1 inch dice
- 12 sea scallops
- 12 medium size shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 loaf two or three day old peasant bread, thickly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic (do not peel), halved lengthwise
- 2 Tblsp. freshly chopped Italian parsley for serving
Directions
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic, onion, celery, carrot, squid and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring until the onion is translucent 5 - 8 minutes. Add the mussels, clams, wine, tomatoes, olives, capers, herbs, stock and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mussels and clams have opened, about 2 minutes more.
Add the monkfish and simmer 1 minute. Add the scallops and simmer 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook 2 - 3 minutes more, just until firm. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, toast or grill the bread. Rub the crusts with the cut sides of the garlic on one or both sides of the bread. Place a slice of bread in the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle the soup over the bread, being careful not to break up the pieces of monkfish. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, passing the remaining bread at the table.
Serves 6