1 sea bass or striped bass
1 pound shrimp
1 quart clams or mussels
¼ pound dried porcini mushrooms
1 West Coast crab or lobster
3-4 tomatoes
1 green pepper
½ cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 pint red wine
salt and pepper

First, soak the mushrooms in cold water, then prepare the seafood. Cut the raw fish in serving-sized pieces. Shell and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact.  (You can get the fish-guy to shell and devein the shrimp for you).  Clean and steam the mussels or clams in a quart of water or stock for about 4-5 minutes (until the shells open), throw away any that don’t open.   Save the liquid. Break the crab apart or cut the lobster in pieces.

For the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and green pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook down for a minute or two, then add the tomato paste, the wine, and 4 cups of the mussel or clam broth. Salt and pepper to taste, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Arrange the seafood in a large kettle: first the crab or lobster, then the fish, topped by the shrimp. Bring the sauce to a boil, then pour into the kettle, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 minutes. Toss in the mussels or clams (to reduce shell volume, you can wrench off and throw away half the shell before tossing in), cover, and heat for 2 more minutes.

As adapted from James Beard’s “New Fish Cookery”