Fisherman's Stew with Grilled Ciabatta

Seafood

• 4 ea. 6oz Portion Rock Cod (can sub sea bass or local halibut)
• 8 ea. Rock Crab Claws
• 1 pound Santa Barbara Mussels
• 1 pound Clams
• 2 ea. Ciabatta, sliced for grilled bread

Stew Base

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 ea. large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 ea. celery, Chopped
• 1 large Pinch Saffron
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 ea. garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon espelette (can substitute cayenne pepper)
• ½ cup sambal (southeast Asian chili sauce)
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 5 pound size can San Marzano Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 ½ cups chardonnay
• ¼ gallon fish stock
• ¼ gallon clam juice
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 ea. lemon (Juice and Zest)
• ½ stick of butter- chilled (for finishing)

Seafood

Ladle 1 cup of broth into a large sauté pan

Add rock crab claws, clams, mussels and cod and simmer on medium for 8-10 minutes until the clams and mussels open.

Stew Base

Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, carrots, celery, and salt and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, saffron and Espelette and sweat 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, wine, fish stock, clam stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and let simmer until the flavors blend, about 30-45 minutes. Blend with a submersible hand blender, but DO NOT STRAIN. Cut off chunks of chilled butter and blend into the broth with a hand blender. Finish with lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley. Adjust seasoning as needed.

Assembly

Portion the clams, mussels, crab and fish into 4 bowls. Ladle 1 ½ cup broth over the seafood and serve with grilled, buttered ciabatta.