Seafood Stew

I can not tell you how good this was!!!  And the picture does not do it justice.  It is an absolutely beautiful dish fit for a dinner party....which is where I served it.  It is a little pricey (the fish can be expensive) but it is well worth it!!!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small)
• 2 cups large-diced small white potatoes
• 2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups good white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, chopped
• 1 quart Seafood Stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (reserve the shells for the stock)
• 1 pound each halibut and bass fillets, cut in large chunks
• 24 mussels, cleaned
• 3 tablespoons Pernod - I used a cheaper Anise liquor and it was great
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• Toasted baguette slices, buttered and rubbed with garlic

Directions

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette