Ingredients

1 lb mussels
2 lb firm fresh fish fillets, such as grouper or striped bass
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3/4 cup chopped onions
5   Roma tomatoes, peeled and sliced, or 1 cup canned Italian tomatoes
1 teaspoon fennel seed
Pinch saffron
1 tablespoon plus 1/2-teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon butter plus more, for the bread and plating
2 1/2 cup boiling water
1/2   (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
4   crab halves, cut in 1/2
1 lb unpeeled shrimp
1   loaf French bread

Directions

Wash and scrub the mussels in cold water.

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large heavy pot. Add the mussels and cover the pot. * Steam for 6 to 8 minutes or until the mussels open. Discard any mussels that didn’t open. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cut the fish into 1-inch thick slices.

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the garlic, onions, tomatoes, fennel, saffron, salt, and pepper. Add the mussel broth to the pot and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the boiling water and clam juice. Bring to a rolling boil, add the crabs and fish, and continue to boil for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the mussels along with the shrimp, and boil for an additional 5 minutes.

Slice the French bread, butter it, and toast lightly. Serve the bouillabaisse in large individual bowls lined with toasted French bread; pile in the seafood and ladle the broth over it. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of butter. Pass the remaining bread at the table.

*Cook’s Note: If you like a spicier soup you may add a couple of whole hot peppers to the pot at the start of cooking.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007