Winter Seafood Stew

Finely chop the onion. Core, seed, and chop the pepper.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep, large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry for a moment until you hear them sizzle. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile rinse, stem, and thinly slice the mushroom caps (save the stems for soup).

Add the mushrooms, clam juice, white wine, tomatoes, lemon zest, and sage to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, gently break the tomatoes into pieces right in the skillet. Simmer covered for a few minutes while you prepare the potatoes.

Scrub the potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Add them to the skillet and simmer covered until tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the monkfish into 1-inch pieces or remove the tough rubbery appendage from each scallop and slice them in half if they're big.

When the potatoes are tender, stir in the seafood; simmer covered until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. This recipe makes 4 servings.