Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded and bulb cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
1 medium onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup full-bodied red wine
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
1 pound skinless fillets of thick white-fleshed fish such as halibut, hake, or pollack, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 pound cultivated mussels

Pulse fennel, onion, and garlic in a food processor until coarsely chopped.
Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Stir in chopped vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, red-pepper flakes, and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their juice, water, wine, and clam juice and boil, covered, 20 minutes. Stir in seafood and cook, covered, until fish is just cooked through and the mussels open, 5 to 6 minutes (discard any that remain unopened after 6 minutes). Discard bay leaves. Serve hot.