Italian Fish Soup

Ingredients

• 0.1 teaspoon pepper black
• 32 fl. oz. bottled clam juice 
• 12 small hard-shelled clams such as littlenecks scrubbed (less than 2 inches in diameter)
• 1 cup cooking wine dry white
• 0.3 cup basil fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley fresh finely chopped
• 1  garlic clove halved
• 3  garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 lb halibut fillet skinless cut into 1-inch pieces
• 12  mussels scrubbed (preferably cultivated)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 6 servings accompaniment: olive oil extra-virgin for drizzling
• 0.3 teaspoon oregano dried crumbled
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper flakes dried red hot
• 0.8 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 lb shrimp in shell deveined peeled per lb), , leaving tail and first segent of shell intact, and
• 1 lb squid rings separated cleaned
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 28 oz juice reserved from tomatoes diced canned
• 4.5 cups water 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• pot
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Rinse squid under cold running water and pat dry. If squid are large, halve ring of tentacles, then cut longer tentacles crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Pull off flaps from squid bodies and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
2. Cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings.
3. Pat shrimp dry and sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
4. Heat oil in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear shrimp in 2 batches, turning over once, until golden but not cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch.
5. Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
6. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano to pot and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds.
7. Add wine and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in clams and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 6 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened clams after 8 minutes.) Stir in mussels and cook, covered, over moderately high heat until shells open wide, checking frequently after 3 minutes and transferring as opened with a slotted spoon to bowl with shrimp. (Discard any unopened mussels after 6 minutes.)
8. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
9. Add stock to pot along with remaining 4 cups water, tomatoes with juice, sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.
10. Arrange bread slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet, then drizzle with oil and season with salt.
11. Bake, turning over once, until golden, about 10 minutes total.
12. Transfer toasts to a rack to cool slightly, then rub lightly with cut sides of garlic and sprinkle with parsley.
13. Add halibut to stock and cook at a bare simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Stir in squid and reserved shellfish, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 minute. Stir in basil and parsley and serve immediately, with toasts alongside for dipping.