San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and becomes fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and let it simmer vigorously for 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, fish stock, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld into a rich, aromatic broth.

Increase heat to medium. Nestle the clams into the broth first, as they take longest to open. Cover and cook for 4 minutes.

Add the mussels and the white fish chunks. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the shrimp on top, pressing them gently into the broth. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the shrimp are pink, the fish is flaky, and the clams and mussels have opened wide. Discard any shellfish that refuse to open.

Remove the bay leaves. Ladle the stew generously into wide, warm bowls, making sure each serving gets a beautiful assortment of seafood. Garnish with chopped parsley and fennel fronds. Serve with thick slices of crusty sourdough bread.