(Brodetto alla San Benedettese)

SERVES 8

However much their holiday menus may vary from one year or household to another, this classic dish—which can be made with one variety of seafood or many—is almost always the finale to the Cena della Vigilia feast for authors Eugenia Bone and Ed Giobbi.

3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1⁄2 bunch parsley, chopped
3 medium pickled peppers, sliced
6 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Salt
Red pepper flakes
1 1⁄2 lb. monkfish, cut into 3" pieces
3 medium whiting, head on, cut into 4" pieces
16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
16 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
8 slices Italian bread
1 clove garlic, peeled

1. Heat 1⁄2 cup oil in a large, deep, nonreactive skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 3 tbsp. parsley, and pickled peppers and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add vinegar and cook for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes to the skillet, season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes, and continue cooking until mixture is very soft, about 5 minutes. Add monkfish, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes. Add whiting and mussels, cover, and cook until mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and wine, cover, and cook until shrimp turn opaque, about 3 minutes more. Garnish with remaining parsley.

2. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Arrange bread on a baking sheet, then brush both sides of each slice with remaining G cup oil. Toast under broiler, turning bread once, until golden on both sides. Rub each slice of bread with garlic. To serve, place one slice of toasted bread in each of 8 bowls and spoon brodetto on top.