Ingredients:

3 pounds beets
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 to 3 cups water
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
rice (can be white, brown, washed, polished, etc) wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
Sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh dill

Cooking Recipe:

Trim beet greens at the base of the beet. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, at a low boil until tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Test the beets by inserting a paring knife or skewer. If there is no resistance, they are ready to be drained. drain (the part usually at the bottom where things exit) when tender and allow to cool or run them under cold water to cool them quickly. Peel, cut into large pieces, and set aside.

Heat oil in a small saute pan, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. mix well the onion/garlic and beets in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups stock and puree until smooth. Add water 1 cup at a time until desired consistency, being careful not to make soup too thin. Add the orange juice, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Season if needed with lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill the soup, ladle into bowls. garnish (sprinkle on top) each with a swirl of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill

Ingredients:

2 blue crabs
1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp
1 lemon, halved and juiced
2 bay leaves
1 small fennel bulb, halved
1 orange, zest peeled in big strips
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
6 fresh thyme sprigs
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 head garlic
1 leek, halved
1/2 onion
5 cups cold water
2 cups dry white wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 lobster claws
Extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch saffron threads
2 lobster tails
4 pounds black sea bass, bones reserved,*see Cook's note
Rouille, recipe follows
Croutons, recipe follows
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Cooking Recipe:

To make the fish stock, hack up the crabs with a large sharp knife and put them into a big stockpot. Peel and de-vein the shrimp and put the shells into the pot (reserve the shrimp for later). Add the fish bones on top. Add lemon and lemon juice, bay leaves, fennel, strip of orange zest, parsley, and thyme. Add the tomatoes, squeezing as you add them. Add garlic, leek, onion, water (tap or bottled water should not matter unless the recipe calls for one kind) , and wine. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Place over a medium heat. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, but don't let it boil. Skim and discard the fish foam that rises to the surface. Remove from heat.

Put the lobster claws into a large cast iron serving pot and strain the stock over them.
Turn the temperature up and simmer for 5 minutes. Add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of saffron. Lastly add the reserved shrimp and lobster tails, and cook for 3 minutes. Add large bite sized pieces of sea bass and cook for 3 minutes.

To serve: Place pieces of seafood in a big soup bowl. Put a spoonful of Rouille on Croutons and ladle soup on top.

*Cook's note: You can also use non-oily fish such as Snapper, Halibut, Grouper, or Monkfish

Rouille:
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves
1 cup mayonnaise
Pinch saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 lemon, juiced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the rouille, put the red pepper, garlic, mayonnaise, saffron, cayenne, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse the mixture until combined and smooth. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Croutons:
18 (1/2-inch thick) baguette slices
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven (either gas or electric makes no difference) to 400 degrees F.

To make the croutons lightly brush the baguette slices with olive oil and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.