Bouillabaisse

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Ingredients:

     Soup Base
5-10 fish heads and frames (cod, yellowtail, etc.)
1 Tbs. salt
3 medium onions, chopped
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 tsp. basil
2 pinches saffron (1/2 tsp.)
1 Tbs. salt
1/8 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaves

     Seafood
8 clams, live
8 squid, cut in rings
8 oz. halibut fillets, cut in 1” cubes
8 oz. cod fillets, cut in 1” cubes
1/2 lb. scallops
1/2 lb. crab meat or crab legs
3/4 lb. shrimp

Preparation:
Place fish heads and frames in a large pot and cover with water. Add 1 Tbs. salt. Boil until reduced in half (about 1 hour). Strain broth through cheese cloth. Return broth to pot. Sauté onions in olive oil until soft. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, basil, saffron, salt, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaves to broth. Simmer for a couple hours. Purée soup base. Bring soup base to a slow boil and add seafood. Cook until clams open and fish turns opaque.

Serving Suggestion:
Bouillabaisse is great with rouille, a spicy, garlic and red bell pepper sauce. Float a piece of toasted French bread in the bouillabaisse and top it with rouille and a little greated parmesan or romano cheese.

Variation:
Change the seafood to suit your taste or for the classic French Soupe de Poisson, leave the seafood out completely.