Cioppino (San Francisco style fish stew)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, chopped (3 1/2 cups)
• 1 large fennel bulb (about 1 lb) chopped, fronds reserved for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 Turkish bay leaf
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 cups water (or 1 cup water, one 8-oz bottle clam juice)
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 pound mussels, rinsed and debearded if necessary
• 2 pounds pollock, cut in 2-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound cleaned squid, bodies cut into 1/2-inch rings, optional

Preparation

1. 1. Heat oil in a 5 1/2- to 6-quart wide, heavy pot over medium. Stir in onion and fennel; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (11-12 minutes). Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant (2 minutes). Add wine, water or clam juice-water combo, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer; cook, covered (20 minutes).
2. 2. Stir in mussels, pollock, and shrimp. Bring to a simmer over high heat, uncovered (2 minutes). Add squid, if using, cover pot, and cook till mussels open wide and seafood is opaque and just cooked through (about 5 minutes more). (Discard mussels that do not open.) Serve.