1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, Diced.
1 leek chopped very fine.
1 carrot diced
1 celery stalk diced
salt and pepper
7 garlic cloves minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (crush in mortar then dilute with 2 tablespoons HOT water)
1 large or 2 small tomatoes peeled and diced - See note...
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups fish stock
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

6 whole crabs (dungeoness or blue)
12 oz monkfish - able to substitute snapper or seabass - cut into bite size pieces
12 oz halibut
12 oz cleaned squid tubes - sliced into rings.
1 lb mussels scrubbed and debearded
1 lb small clams like periwinkles
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley - chopped
3 medium potatoes cubed and boiled until tender.

1. In a large stockpot, heat the 1/3 c olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, leek, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until soft and lightly colored. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

2. Add the oregano, thyme, bay leaves, saffron, tomatoes, and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook to evaporate the alcohol and slightly reduce the liquid. About 10 minutes.

3. Add 1 cup of fish stock and red pepper flakes and simmer for 5 minutes

4. Add the remaining fish stock to cool everything down and run through the blender to puree. Pour back into the pot and check seasoning.

5. Add the crabs, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the monkfish, halibut, squid, mussels, and clams. Cover and simmer for another 3 minutes or until the shells open. Add the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the potatoes. Stir well. Serves 6.

Note. To peel tomatoes, submerge them in a pot of boiling water to cover for 1 minute. Remove and dunk in ice water. Skin should peel easily.



Now for my personal notes for the recipe. I have made this recipe using the "seafood mix" you occasionally see at asian markets in the frozen section and it worked extremely well. If you're wanting peeled crab, you want 3 lbs of lump crab meat.

that sounds really good !!