This hearty seafood soup/stew is best when fresh seafood is available, however, even if you have to use frozen, the combination of lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and cod with tomatoes, wine and fresh basil will give you all the reason you need to sop up all the love in the bottom of the bowl.
1lb.small maine lobster tailscleaned, cut into pieces
9small littleneck clamsscrubbed
9medium fresh musselsbeards removed
1/2lb.fresh or frozen codcut into cubes
1/2lb.large shrimpshelled and deveined, tails intact
3/4lb.sea scallops
1/4c.fresh parsleychopped
3Tbsp.fresh basilfinely chopped
Instructions
Cook garlic, onions, bay leaf, oregano and red pepper flakes with salt and pepper in oil in an 8 quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes with their juice, clam juice, and broth and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
While stew is simmering, add crab, lobster, clams and mussels. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until clams just open. Transfer clams to a bowl, and discard any unopened clams.
Add cod, shrimp and scallops to stew, and simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Discard bay leaf, then return clams to pot and gently stir in parsley and basil.
Serve immediately in large soup bowls.
Notes
Be sure to have crusty bread nearby to soak up the wonderful liquid in the bowl.