San Francisco Style Cioppino (A Low Carb Italian American Seafood Stew)

Cioppino is a popular fish stew that originated in the late 1800's, on
the wharves of San Francisco. The Italian immigrant fisherman mixed whatever seafood was leftover from each day's catch with wine,
tomatoes, herbs and vegetables to create a very delicious soup/stew.

Ingredients:
8 ounces firm white fish (cod or halibut)** 
3/4 pound raw shrimp
1 pound small - medium sized raw mussels (in the shell)
12 raw clams (in the shell) 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
2 tablespoons bacon grease 
1/2 medium red onion, diced 
2 stalks celery, chopped 
1/8 teaspoon pink Himalayan or sea salt
5 cloves garlic minced
2 cups dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes 
1 1/2 cups clam juice 
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning 
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves  
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce  
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped*** 
6 lemon wedges
salt and pepper 

Method:
Chop the fish into 2 inch chunks and set aside.
Peel, devein and rinse the shrimp. Set aside. 
Clean and rinse the shells of the mussels and clams. Set aside.
Heat the oil and bacon grease in a large Dutch Oven, over medium-low heat, just until melted. 
Stir in the onion, celery and salt and cook for 5 about minutes. 
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the wine and increase the heat to high. Bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. 
Add the tomatoes (with juice), clam juice, Old Bay, oregano and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp, lemon juice and fish. Return to simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Remove cooked shrimp and set aside.  Add the mussels and clams to the broth. Cover and simmer until shells open (about 6 minutes). 
Add the shrimp back into the stew. Serve hot, topped with  chopped basil, a lemon wedge and salt & pepper to taste. Makes 6 servings. 

**Traditionally, the Italian immigrants, in San Francisco, used crabmeat in their cioppino and it may be substituted for the white fish.
***If you do not have fresh basil, you can add 1 teaspoon of dried basil to the broth as it simmers.

Nutritional info per serving (with garnishes), approximately:
557 calories ~ 13 grams fat ~  10.25 grams net carbs ~ 45 grams protein

Notes: 
This stew is a seafood lovers delight! The warm broth is especially satisfying on a cold day and the flavors will transport you to fond memories of days and evenings spent at the ocean.
Serve with soup spoons and provide small forks for the removal of the clams and mussels from their shells. Also provide small bowls to place the empty shells into.
Traditionally, cioppino is served with a crusty bread or rolls.