Lunch: The Lady's Bouillabaisse

A delightful seafood dish to remind you of a nice day at the beach.

Ingredients

1 lb mussels
2 lbs firm fresh grouper fillets, or striped bass or another fish fillet
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup onions, chopped
5 roma tomatoes, peeled and sliced ( or 1 cup canned Italian tomatoes)
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 tablespoons butter, plus more for the bread and plating
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 (8 oz) bottle clam juice
4 crab halves, cut in 1/2
1 lb unpeeled shrimp
1 loaf French bread
pinch saffron

Instructions

Wash and scrub the mussels in cold water.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large heavy pot. Add the mussels and cover the pot. * Steam for 6 to 8 minutes or until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that didn't open. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Cut the fish into 1-inch thick slices.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, fennel, saffron, salt and pepper. Add the mussel broth to the pot and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the boiling water and clam juice. Bring to a rolling boil, add the crabs and fish, and continue to boil for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the mussels along with the shrimp, and boil for an additional 5 minutes.
Slice the French bread, butter it, and toast lightly. Serve the bouillabaisse in large individual bowls lined with toasted French bread; pile in the seafood and ladle the broth over it. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of butter. Pass the remaining bread at the table.
*Cook's Note: If you like a spicier soup you may add a couple of whole hot peppers to the pot at the start of cooking.

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