Seafood Soup

You can call this a soup or a stew. It is very simple to make and is so delicious. Saffron is a little expensive, but it makes such a big difference. It goes well with a nice Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. (My favorite) It can be very saucy so be sure to have a hot crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice (not seasoned)
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 pound of halibut or any firm white fish cut in chunks of an inch or more.
• 1/2 pound sea scallops
• 1/4 cup flour, 
• 1 tablespoon (1 turn around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• zest of one lemon
• Hot, crusty bread, for plate mopping  

Directions

Lightly coat the sea scallops in flour after seasoning them with salt and pepper. Discard remaining flour.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil (1 turn around the pan) and butter. When butter melts into oil, add scallops. Brown scallops 2 minutes on each side, then remove from pan. Do the same with fish and shrimp.

Add an additional drizzle of olive oil to the pan and add the garlic, shallots, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reduce heat and saute it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine to the pan and free up any pan drippings. Reduce wine 1 minute, then add stock, tomatoes and saffron threads. Let this sauce reduce and thicken up a little. Return seafood to the pan and cook 5 minutes longer. Add lemon zest, stir well and transfer to a warm serving dish.  Pass plenty of warm country bread or baguette to enjoy the juices.

NOTE If you like the sauce a little thicker, you can dissolve 1/4 of a teaspoon of corn starch in 1/4 cup of water and add it at the end, cooking for a couple extra minutes