Instructions: Heat the oil and butter in a kettle and add the onion, leek, and garlic.

Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are lightly browned. Add the green peppers and continue cooking, stirring, until peppers wilt. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, basil, and about 1/4 ts red pepper flakes. Add the fish stock and cook slowly about 2 hours, stirring often to prevent burning. More fish stock may be added if desired. Add the clam juice and wine and continue cooking about 10 minutes. The soup may be made in advance to this point.

Twenty minutes or so before serving, return the soup to the boil and add the striped bass or other fish. Cook about 5 minutes and add the scallops and shrimp. Simmer about 8 minutes and add the clams, oysters, lobster tail, and crab. Cook, stirring gently, about 5 minutes or until the clams open. Serve in very hot soup bowls with red pepper flakes on the side.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.