Seafood Stew with Tomatoes and Basil (Cioppino)

By Terrance

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup olive oil
• 11/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 TBSP dried oregano
• 11/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 21/2 cups crushed toatoes with added puree
• 21/2 cups bottled clam juice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 6-1/2 oz cans chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and devined
• 1 6oz can crabmeat, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• cyenne pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oliveoil in heavy large pot over med heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano and fennel seeds and saute until onion is tender, about 8 minutes.
Add tomatoes, clam juice, white wine and liquid reserved from clams. Increase heat and boil until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Add clams, shrimp and crabmeat.
Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Mix in fresh basil and simmer until shrimp are just opeque in center, about 2 minutes longer. Season stew to tast with caynenne, salt and pepper.

Serve with green salad, garlic bread and a crisp white wine.