Istrian Mixed Seafood Stew

ISTRIAN MIXED SEAFOOD STEW

Steps:

• Break apart the blue crabs one at a time. Grasping them one by one in a cloth towel, pull off the claws and the tail. Pry up and separate the hard top shell from the bottom body, then remove the gills (or lungs) and cut off the head section (eyes and mouth). Rinse well under cold running water. Cut the body in half (leave roe attached if you have she-crabs), and drain in a colander.
• Cut the sea bass crosswise into roughly equal-size head and tail sections. Dredge the bass, monkfish, and eel pieces in flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in the big saucepan over medium-high heat. Put in all the floured fish in a single layer, fry until crisp on the underside, then flip the pieces over. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and fry until crisp all over, about 4 minutes in all, and remove to a platter.
• Dump in the onion, shallots, and garlic, and cook until sizzling and wilted, stirring all around and scraping up the caramelized bits in the pan. Drop in all the blue-crab pieces (but not Alaskan crab legs, if using), then toss and stir over high heat.
• Add the bay leaves, and season lightly with salt. When the moisture from the crabs has evaporated, push the pieces aside and drop the tomato paste in the clear hot spot. Stir it in place for a minute, then stir the crabs and onion and paste together, all around the pan, as they sizzle and caramelize.
• Pour the red wine vinegar into 3 cups hot water, stir to mix, then pour all the liquid into the hot pan. Stir well, scraping and melting all the glazed bits in the pan and creating a broth. Bring to a steady boil, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and cook the crab for a couple of minutes by itself.
• Add the eel pieces to the broth, bring it back to the boil, and cook for 10 minutes-or more if the eel is very thick-before reintroducing the monkfish and sea bass. Clear space for the fish pieces, and nestle them in gently, so they don't break up; pour in any juices that accumulated on the platter. Scatter the calamari all over, and shake the pan gently, nestling the calamari between the fish and sloshing the sauce over all the seafood. (If using crab legs instead of fresh blue crabs, add them to the saucepan after the fish are in, just before the calamari.)
• When everything is in the pan and the broth is perking, cook for 5 minutes or more, shaking the pan now and then. When the firm-fleshed fish are cooked through and tender-in particular the eel and monkfish-turn off the heat.
• Scatter the parsley all over, and serve hot, Istrian style. Heap all the meaty fish with a bit of sauce on a big platter, from which people can choose the pieces they want. Dress pasta or polenta with remaining sauce. Provide empty bowls for bones, and plenty of towels for wiping hands.