LOBSTER CIOPPINO RECIPES

Steps:

• Bring large pot of water to boil. Add 1 lobster headfirst. Cover pot; cook lobster 5 minutes. Transfer lobster to large bowl of ice. Cook remaining lobster; cool. Working over rimmed baking sheet, twist tail and large claws off lobsters. Using lobster cracker or nutcracker, crack claws; gently remove meat in 1 piece. Remove tail meat from shell; slice each tail crosswise into 6 medallions. Place lobster meat in small bowl; cover and chill. Place lobster shells and juices in heavy resealable plastic bag; smash shells with kitchen mallet into smaller pieces; reserve.
• Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; reserve shells. Place shrimp in medium bowl; cover and chill.
• Heat oil in large pot (at least 8-quart capacity) over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, fennel and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in tomato paste; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, herbs and crushed pepper; cook 5 minutes. Add clam juice, wine, snapper, lobster shells, and juices and shrimp shells; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 1 hour.
• Working in batches, strain stew through large sieve into second large pot, reserving solids. Set food mill over second pot. Working with 2 cups reserved stew-base solids at a time, press through food mill to extract remaining broth and some fish and vegetables to make 13 cups stew base. Discard remaining solids.
• Boil stew base until reduced to 10 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill stew base uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Keep lobster and shrimp chilled.)
• Bring stew base to simmer; keep warm. Combine scallops, crabmeat (if desired), shrimp, and lobster meat in large bowl. Add flour; toss gently to coat. Place seafood in sieve; shake off excess flour. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of seafood. Sauté 1 minute. Add half of butter, then 2 tablespoons parsley, half of garlic, and half of shallot. Sauté until scallops and shrimp are just opaque in center and all seafood is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Repeat with remaining oil, butter, seafood, 2 tablespoons parsley, garlic, and shallot; transfer to same bowl. Add wine to skillet and boil until reduced to glaze, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Mix glaze into seafood.
• Ladle stew base into shallow bowls. Arrange seafood in center. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parsley.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, shallots, and salt and saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add tomatoes with their juices, wine, fish stock and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
• Add the clams and mussels to the cooking liquid. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and fish. Simmer gently until the fish and shrimp are just cooked through, and the clams are completely open, stirring gently, about 5 minutes longer (discard any clams and mussels that do not open). Season the soup, to taste, with more salt and red pepper flakes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.