Seafood Stew

*There's a lot of liquid here, so be sure to use a very large pot to prepare the stew.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
5 cups chopped onions
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
3 cups dry white wine
3 8-ounce bottles clam juice
3/4 cup tomato paste (about 1 1/2 six-ounce cans)
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
2 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 3/4 pounds cod fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 pound bay scallops

Chopped fresh basil


Directions:

Heat oil in heavy 8- to 10-quart pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and next 8 ingredients. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until flavors blend and liquid is slightly reduced, about 45 minutes.

Add clams to cooking liquid. Cover pot and cook until clams open, about 10 minutes *discard any clams that do not open*. Add cod, shrimp and scallops. Simmer until seafood is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle stew into bowls. Sprinkle with basil and serve.