1 1/2 cups peeled tomatoes, crushed, with juice
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon paprika
Sea salt
1 celery stalk, chopped
garlic bread croutons, for garnish
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red chile, fresh
Rouille:
1/2 pound sea scallops
3/4 pound monkfish, sea bass, red snapper, or halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 cherrystone clams, well scrubbed
1 cup water
1 leek, cut into ?-inch pieces
3 white bread slices, without crust
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
3 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute leek and celery until soft, but not browned.
2. Add garlic. Saute for two more minutes. Stir in tomato paste and continue cooking for one more minute.
3. Add wine to "deglaze" pan, by scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan while the wine reduces. Boil gently for about three minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes with juice, clam juice, water, herbes de Provence, sea salt to taste, anise seed, and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large soup pot. Add the clams and cook for about three minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat if oil is smoking.
6. Add simmered broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for three more minutes.
7. Stir in fish, cover and continue cooking for one more minute.
8. Add scallops and cook just until seafood is done, about four more minutes. Throw away any clams that do not open.
9. For the rouille, combine bread, paprika, garlic, red pepper, and oil in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
10. Serve stew with garlic croutons, garnished with rouille.