French Sea Food Stew

Photo: flickr user stu_spivack

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray as needed

2 garlic cloves minced

1 onion - (6 oz) chopped

2 leeks - (12 oz) washed well,

and thinly sliced, white and 1" green

3 mediums tomatoes - (abt 18 oz total) seeded, chopped

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 sprg fresh thyme

teaspoon (or ¼ crushed dried thyme)

1 lrg rosemary sprig

teaspoon (or ¼ crushed dried rosemary)

2 bay leaves

1 piece orange rind - (abt 3")

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed

1/8 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

(or crushed red pepper flakes)

3 cups Fish Stock (see recipe)

2 cups water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 pounds firm fleshed fish cut 1" strips

1 pound lobster tails meat removed and

sliced into coins, shells reserved

1 pound large shrimp cleaned, deveined,

and shells reserved

1 French baguette - (16 oz) cut very thin

slices, coated with olive oil cooking

inch spray, and baked a hot oven until

browned on both sides

Preparation

Coat a large kettle with cooking spray and add the garlic, onions and leeks. saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, orange rind, fennel, pepper, and hot sauce. Saute for 3 minutes more. Add the stock, water, and lemon juice, along with the lobster and shrimp shells. Bring to a simmer and cook for fifteen minutes.

Remove the shells and thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Puree the vegetables with a bit of broth in a blender or food processor a little at a time until the soup is smooth. Set aside until you are ready to make dinner.

Just before ready to serve, bring the soup to a simmer. Add the fish and simmer for a few minutes. Add the lobster and continue to simmer for another two minutes. Finally add the shrimp and simmer until all the seafood is cooked through, another few minutes.

To serve, ladle broth and seafood in a shallow soup bowls. Top each serving with 3 toasts. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 6 servings.