Italian Seafood Boil

This is very special soup for seafood lovers. It is a traditional Italian seafood soup. It's important to use the freshest ingredients you can find including clams, mussels, fish, and shrimps. You can use the fish filets of your choice including halibut, salmon or tuna. This is a hearty, flavorful, and satisfying soup. Serve this soup with some garlic bread and dinner is ready!

Ingredients:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 3 large shallots, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups fish broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 10 small littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 pound mussels, scrubbed & debearded
• 1 russet potato, peeled & cubed
• 1 1/2 pound fresh fish filets
• 1 pound large shrimps, peeled & deveined
• 2 corn cobs, quartered crosswise
• Sea salt

Directions:

1. Put the bay leaves, rosemary, and fennel seeds in a cheesecloth bag then set aside. Heat olive oil in a very large pot over medium heat and add chopped fennel and shallots. Saute until tender which is about 7 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Add the can of tomatoes with juice, white wine, and fish broth. Stir in the tomato paste and add the sachet of herbs. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
2. After 10 minutes, add the clams. Cover and cook until clams open which is about 6 minutes. Transfer clams to a bowl. Repeat the same process with the mussels and transfer to a bowl. Add the potatoes and cook until tender which is about 10 minutes. Add the fish filets, shrimp, and corn. Simmer for 5 minutes. Return the clams and mussels to the soup then season with salt & pepper.