Stock:

Using a large and heavy-bottomed stockpot, sauté the veg's in the evoo/butter, until translucent, then add the fish for a quick browning. Toss in your herbs and fish bones/seafood shells, peppercorns and mirepoix for a stir, then pour in the white wine and water and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let simmer for at least three hours. If you have all day, fantastic. I prefer it to have an overnight in the fridge, then do stage two the next day.

* Honestly, whatever scraps you have are workable in a stock. So take the end bits/bloodline/boney sections you cut off from that fish to use for the stock. For shellfish, you are bound to have some inferior looking shrimps/crab bits, as well as some clams and mussels that don't look as good as you'd like the ones for the end product to be, separate them and use them in the stock. [I recommend having a stash of frozen seafood that you build by adding leftover shrimp, scallops, squid and odd bits of fish in ziploc bags. You will definitely use them for fish stock]. This batch should give you enough to freeze a quart for your next chowder, soup or sauce.

Bouillabaisse:

In large stockpot, sauté the garlic,shallot, leeks, celery, and fennel in olive oil. Pour in 8 cups of the strained stock and bring to a simmer. Add the saffron, tomatoes, orange juice, orange zest and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fish. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the wine, potato, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and clams and lobster or crab meat. Cook for 6 minutes, or until the shells have opened. Discard any shells that do not open. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over one of the croutons and with another crouton, and top with a rouille* of your choice, preceded by crusty warm bread and a simple green salad.

Rouille:

Put hot fish stock or clam broth into the bottom of a blender. Add garlic and red hot pepper, egg yolk, salt and bread. Blend until very smooth. With the blender still running, add olive oil slowly and stop the blending as soon as the oil disappears. If it separates before serving, whisk vigorously.

At serving time pass Rouille in a little bowl along with the bouillabaisse. Each serving is about 1/2 a teaspoon that you stir into your soup. Use gingerly like Tabasco.

Croutons/Toasts:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.

Arrange bread slices in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and brush both sides with mixture of evoo and herbs. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast with a cut side of garlic. Sprinkle with sea salt.