Fish & Seafood Soup

Ingredients

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 bulb fennel, diced (or 2 stalks celery, diced)
• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 60 ml (¼ cup) fresh parsley, chopped
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh thyme, chopped
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) fresh basil, chopped
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 250 ml (1 cup) clam juice or chicken broth
• 796 ml (28 oz) canned tomatoes, diced
• 60 ml (¼ cup) tomato paste
• To taste salt and pepper
• 500 g (1 lb) firm fish, diced (halibut, cod, haddock, etc.)
• 250 g (½ lb) medium scallops
• 250 g (½ lb) shelled shrimp
• 250 g (½ lb) mussels, cleaned (about 24)
• Optional grated orange peel
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) cornstarch
• 500 ml (2 cups) cream (10% m.f.)

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan and sauté onion, fennel, bell pepper, carrots and garlic. Add parsley, thyme and basil. Cook 3 minutes. Pour in wine, bring to a boil and reduce until 60 ml (¼ cup) of liquid remains, about 3 minutes.
2. Stir in clam juice or broth, tomatoes and tomato paste. Salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 8 minutes until vegetables are half cooked. Discard any mussels that are open.
3. Add fish, scallops, shrimp and mussels and continue cooking 4 to 5 minutes. Discard unopened mussels.
4. Dissolve cornstarch in cream. Stir a little cream into bouillabaisse and cook until thickened.