Amount
Ingredient
Preparation



1/2
cup
olive oil

divided



1
each
onion

chopped



1
each
carrot

finely chopped



1/2
each
green bell pepper

chopped



1
each
leek

white part only, chopped



1
each
celery stalks

chopped



1
tablespoon
fennel

fresh, chopped



28
ounces
tomatoes, canned with juice

crushed



1
tablespoon
tomato paste





2
cups
water





1
teaspoon
salt





1/4
teaspoon
pepper

ground



1
teaspoon
basil

fresh, minced



1/2
teaspoon
oregano

fresh, minced



1/4
teaspoon
thyme leaves

fresh, minced



4
each
bay leaves





1
dash
cayenne pepper





1
teaspoon
garlic

finely chopped



1
pound
white fish fillets

cut into 1/2x2 inch strips



8
large
shrimp

shelled and deveined



8
large
sea scallops





3/4
cups
white wine

prefer sauvignon blanc



8
small
clams

fresh, in shell, scrubbed



4
ounces
shrimp meat

cooked, canned



6
ounces
crab meat

cooked, fresh or canned



1
x
parsley

italian style broad leaf, chopped

 Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in Dutch oven or large heavy pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute 1 minute without browning. Add carrot, green pepper, leek, celery and fennel and saute 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves and cayenne pepper. Partially cover and simmer over low heat 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Sauce can be covered and kept warm over low heat for several hours longer. Stir occasionally.) Remove bay leaves.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook 5 seconds. Immediately add fish, shrimp and scallops. Saute until just cooked through, 2-4 minutes. Add seafood to sauce and stir gently.

Pour wine into skillet and cook 3 seconds over medium heat, stirring up any loose bits. Add clams to skillet. Cover and cook until clams open, 2-6 minutes. Transfer clams as they open to sauce. Discard any that do not open. Gently stir shrimp and crab meat into sauce. Cover and cook cioppino until all seafood is hot, 2-3 minutes longer.

Ladle cioppino into large casserole or soup tureen or directly into shallow soup plates. Garnish with chopped italian Parsley