Seafood Stew

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I always used to think any stews with shelled seafood would be so complicated or difficult to prepare...wrong!  This seafood stew is so delicious and very simple.  This past time I made it I used fresh fish stock, it made the broth so rich and creamy.  If you can't find fish stock, I have used vegetable stock as a replacement which is also good but doesn't give the same amount of depth.  I also bought all the fish at our local seafood market, it made it extra fresh and special.

Seafood Stew

• 3 Tbl. olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 cups large diced small white potatoes
• 2 cups chopped fennel
• 2 tspn. kosher salt
• 1 tspn. ground black pepper
• 2 cups good white wine
• 1 28oz. can of plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 qt. fish stock or vegetable stock
• 1 Tbl. chopped garlic
• 1 Tbl. saffron threads
• 1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 lb. each halibut & bass fillets, cut into large chunks
• 24 mussels, cleaned
• 3 Tbl. Pernod
• 1 tspn. grated orange zest
• Crunchy bread for serving

-Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (I use my 8qt. Staub pot) or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15min, until the onions begin to brown.  Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.  Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes.  The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels should be opened.  Discard any mussels that don't open.  Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt to taste.  Serve with bread.  Enjoy!