Christmas Cioppino

Living on the coast is a blessing, we have access to the freshest seafood. This Christmas, we decided to take advantage of the bounty of the sea and make the delicious seafood stew from San Francisco. I found this recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens, and modified it a bit to our tastes and the seafood available.

Cioppino
STEW BASE
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 cup bottled clam broth mixed with 2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
SEAFOOD
1 pound mussels
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound cleaned squid, cut into rings, and tentacles halved
1/2 pound sea scallops

Make the stew base. Heat a large stew pot or Dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed hot pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Simmer the wine until reduced by about half. Add the tomatoes, peppers, parsley, and thyme and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broths; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the base, with a cover slightly ajar, for 30 minutes.

Finish the Cioppino. Add the basil and cook covered, over high heat, for 5 minutes. Add the crab and cook for 1 minute. Add the mussels, shrimp, squid, and scallops. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mussels open, the shrimp curl, and squid and scallops are just firm, about 3 minutes.