Seafood Stew

4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
2 cups diced small white potatoes
1 cups chopped fennel
2 tsp. fresh parsley

a small pinch of red pepper (add more or less according to taste)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups white wine
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped
2 quarts seafood stock, (store-bought stock or clam juice)
juice of 1/2 lemon (more may be added if needed)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 pound of halibut fillets, cut in large chunks
1 dozen mussels, cleaned
1 dozen clams, cleaned
1/2 pound squid (optional)
Toasted slices of French bread, buttered and rubbed with garlic.
Heat the oil in a large pot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, all other spices, and saute over medium-heat for approximately 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, fish stock, garlic, lemon and saffron into the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp, fish, mussels, and clams bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 10 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels and clams should be open. Serve in bowls topped with slices of french bread.