Join the Lawyer and create an easy, delicious, Italian-American dish out of a few simple ingredients!

Ingredients

3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 large shallots, sliced thinly
2 tsp. salt
6-8 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes, add more to taste
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes in juice
Full bottle dry white wine, divided, preferably Chardonnay
24 oz. clam juice (3 bottles)
4-6 bay leaves

1 lb. manila clams, scrubbed
1 lb. mussels, scrubbed, debearded
1 lb. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz. lump crab meat
1 1/2 lbs. assorted firm-fleshed fish fillets such as haddock or cod, cut into 2-inch chunks
Green onions, 1/4 inch slices
8 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup parsley as a garnish (you can also use the fennel greens as a garnish)
Lemon slices for garnish and seasoning
Rice or Noodles
Thick bread, buttered and roasted under the broiler

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, shallots, salt and cook until the onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes). Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomato paste, stir until the vegetables are well-coated, then add the tomatoes and juice, clam juice, wine, and bay leaves. Lower the heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes. If the liquid appears too thick, add a cup of hot water or clam juice and mix. Turn the heat to low and add the fish and lump crab to the pot.

Using a separate 12-inch frying pan with a lid, add the remainder of the white wine along with the butter. Bring the mixture to a light boil and add the mussels and clams. Add the green onions on top and cover until the shellfish opens, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels or clams that do not open and pour all of the contents into the pot with the soup, stirring well. Raise the heat of the pot to medium and add the shrimp, make sure the shrimp is being stirred into the broth and the wine-butter mixture is incorporated. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the shrimp is done.

Ladle the Cioppinio into a bowl over rice or noodles and serve with freshly toasted buttered bread.