Seafood Pot from Termoli
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound mussels, scrubbed, beards removed
1 pound littleneck clams or cockles
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 pound cleaned squid, bodies cut into rings and tentacles halved
1/4 pound cleaned cuttlefish
4 scampi, heads and shells on
4 jumbo shrimp, heads and shells on
2 pounds assorted skinless and boneless saltwater fish fillets (red mullet, monkfish, and sea bream), cut into 3-inch pieces
1 tablespoon minted Italian parsley

Preparation:

Soak the mussels and clams in cool water to cover with 1 tablespoon of the salt for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse.

Place the olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, green pepper, jalapeno, squid, and cuttlefish in a 12-inch terra-cotta or nonstick pot. Pour in 1 cup of warm water and season with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the scampi, shrimp, and fish, and cook 5 minutes. Never stir or the fish might flake; instead, shake the pot back and forth once in a while to prevent sticking and to distribute the heat. Add the mussels and clams and cook, covered, until they open, about 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot, in the pot. (Micol Negrin, Rustico Regional Italian Country Cooking, 2002)