If you are planning on staying home this year and having a small group for dinner, I recommend making this crowd-pleasing stew for your main course. Seafood has become so expensive that I usually save it for special occasions. And New Year’s Eve is certainly a time for celebration.

The soup base and aioli can be made ahead and finished at the last minute, making this an excellent choice for entertaining. You’ll only have to reheat the base and make the toasts on the day of serving. The tangy aioli topped on French bread toasts brings all the flavors together.

If you are feeling pinched with the seafood cost, go for less-expensive fish like sea bass, cod or halibut. You could also throw in some mussels and clams. Begin with your favorite green salad topped with a sherry vinaigrette and crumbled goat cheese. Choose a lemon or apple tart or roasted pears for dessert. A glass of Champagne would be a nice addition to dessert and to ring in the New Year.

New Year’s Eve Shrimp and Scallop Stew with Parmesan Aioli

Serves 4 to 6

For the stew:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 fennel bulb, finely chopped

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 cup bottled clam juice

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

1 (28-ounce) can peeled, diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste

2-inch-long strip of orange peel

Salt and black pepper

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tail left on

12 medium scallops

For the toasts:

12 slices French bread

1 garlic clove, sliced in half

Olive oil spray

For the Parmesan Aioli:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

white pepper

To garnish:

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot. Add the onions, carrots and fennel, stirring occasionally, and sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the clam juice, wine, tomatoes, water, anchovy paste, orange peel and salt and pepper and simmer, partially covered, on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile make the toasts. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Rub the garlic on one side of each bread slice and very lightly spray it with olive oil spray. Place the toasts on a baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and reserve. (Do this the day of serving.)

3. Combine all the ingredients for the aioli in a small bowl and mix to blend. Taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

4. When the soup is cooked, remove the orange zest and season to taste. With a hand blender, blend the soup until it is roughly pureed with some texture remaining. If it is too thick, add a bit more water or clam juice to achieve a soup-like consistency.

5. Return the soup to medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and scallops and simmer for about 3- to 4 minutes or until the seafood is just cooked through.

6. To serve: Spread some aioli on each toast. Ladle some soup into each soup bowl (I like to use shallow soup plates for a pretty presentation) Arrange a few aioli toasts around the edge and dollop a teaspoon of the aioli in the center of each bowl. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately.

Advance preparation: This stew may be made up to two days ahead through Step 4, covered and refrigerated. Make the toasts the day it will be served. Reheat before continuing.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple Parties,” and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)

©2025 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.