Eduardo Giurici's brodetto alla triestina (Trieste-style fish stew)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds cleaned, whole sea bass, without the head, tail and fins
• 2 pounds cleaned, whole striped bass, without the head, tail and fins
• ¾ pound cleaned, ready-to-cook squid
• 2 eight-ounce lobster tails in the shell
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• ½ cup redwine vinegar
• 4 cups fish stock (see recipe)
• 2 cups marinara sauce (see recipe)
• Salt, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 medium-size shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 12 littleneck clams
• 14 mussels, scrubbed
• Polenta (see recipe)

Six to eight servings

Preparation

1. Put the sea bass on a flat surface and cut it crosswise into one-and-one-half-inch pieces. Repeat with the striped bass. Set both fish aside.
2. Cut the cleaned squid into one-inch lengths. Set aside.
3. Cut each lobster tail crosswise into three or four pieces.
4. Heat the oil in a very large casserole with a heavy bottom and, when it is hot and almost smoking, add the onions. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Take care not to burn.
5. Arrange the pieces of sea bass, striped bass and lobster tails in the casserole. Cook, turning the pieces occasionally, over high heat about three minutes. Add the vinegar and stir. Cover and cook about one minute.
6. Add the fish stock and bring to the simmer. Cover. Cook about five minutes.
7. Add the marinara sauce and cover. Cook three minutes.
8. Add the squid, salt and pepper to taste and partly cover. Let cook eight minutes.
9. Add the shrimp, clams and mussels and cook five minutes longer, or just until the mussels and clams open. Serve with portions of polenta.

1 hour