Zuppa di pesce (Italian fish soup)

Put the broth vegetables in a pot. Add the washed fish trimmings with any blood removed. Cover with about six cups of water and stir.

Bring to a boil, then simmer the broth for about 20 minutes, adding seafood trimmings and shells as they are prepared.

Clean the scallops, removing the small side muscle that would make them tough as they cook. Add the trimmings to the broth and refrigerate the scallops.

Clean the squid: pull the head from the body, remove the intestine and bone from the tube, peel off the black skin, and cut the head just under the eyes. Add the trimmings to the broth.

Peel the shrimp, separate the heads, and devein by cutting along the back from tail to head. Refrigerate the shrimp and add the shells to the broth.

Cut a firm white fish into about half-inch cubes, pulling out any bones and adding them to the broth.

Skim the broth of impurities.

Heat a pot on medium high, add the oil, the small-cut vegetables and the garlic, and stir.

Add about half a teaspoon of cayenne, mix, and sweat the vegetables six to eight minutes without browning.

Add the wine and the tomatoes. Strain the broth through a sieve into the pot and mix so everything is covered by liquid.

Bring to a boil on high heat, then simmer about 20 minutes.

Taste and season with a good pinch of salt, a good pinch of pepper and a little more cayenne.

Add the fish and cook about 5 minutes.

Clean the mussels, removing any beards.

Add the squid, shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams. Mix, bring to a boil and simmer another 5 minutes.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil, add roughly crushed garlic, and cook the bread until golden on both sides, adding another tablespoon of oil.

Taste the soup again and adjust the salt, pepper or cayenne.

Place a crostini in the bottom of the bowl, serve the soup over with plenty of seafood, and garnish with small parsley leaves.