Zuppa Di Mare (Seafood Soup)

This recipe uses a variety of fresh seafood, so you can use them all or just what you want or have available. It is very important to prepare all the ingredients beforehand since it cooks so quickly. The last thing you want to do is overcook the lovely seafood. The inspiration for this soup is a recipe from chef Jamie Adams of Veni Vidi Vici in Atlanta, Georgia. Serve with crusty bread.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients

• Sofrito

• 2  garlic cloves, peeled
• 4  anchovies (about 1 ounce)
• 3  tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped divided
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

• Soup

• 8  mussels, cleaned
• 8  littleneck clams, cleaned
• 1  cup dry white wine
• 1 1⁄2 cups  vegetable stock or 1 1⁄2 cups  fish stock or 1 1⁄2 cups  chicken stock or 1 1⁄2 cups  clam juice
• 1  cup tomato sauce
• 1  pinch saffron
• 1⁄2 lb  white fish fillet, cut into bite sized dice (grouper, swordfish, halibut, snapper)
• 4  sea scallops
• 8  large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1⁄2 lb  calamari, cleaned and sliced crosswise into rings

Directions

1. In a food processor, chop garlic and anchovies; add 2 tablespoons parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
2. Process to form a loose paste (I had to add more of the olive oil - add up to 2 more tablespoons to process).
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute softrito, over medium heat, until the garlic pieces are golden and it sizzles.
4. Stir in the mussels and clams, tossing to coat in sofrito.
5. Add wine, increase heat to medium high, and cook until reduced by half.
6. Stir in stock, tomato sauce, and saffron; return to a simmer.
7. Add diced fish and cook one minute.
8. Add scallops, cook one minute.
9. Add shrimp, cook one minute.
10. Add squid; taste for seasonings.
11. By this time the shells should have opened (sometimes the shellfish, especially the mussels, open before this point and I remove them so they don't get rubbery, then return them at the end), if not cover for a minute or so, until they open; discard any shells that do not open.
12. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over soup and garnish with remaining parsley.